


Seeking Gilt in the Silt

by MissDoctorDonna



Series: Magnificent Seven Brothers [10]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Gen, No Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-19
Updated: 2013-11-19
Packaged: 2018-05-19 13:17:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 83,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5968651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissDoctorDonna/pseuds/MissDoctorDonna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Follows Ezra and Vin as they make good on their promise to deliver supplies to the convent for an infirm Josiah.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Set immediately after The Clouds Part Eventually, practically a part two. Standard disclaimers: Don't own, don't profit, don't sue.

Having left Josiah sleeping in Nathan's room, Vin and Ezra had gathered in the little partitioned room that the healer sometimes used as a bedroom. Looking around the tiny space curiously, as it was the first time he'd been in there, Ezra remarked, "How can you sleep in here? There's no windows. Or room to breathe. Or proper ventilation which means it must reek in summer. How on Earth do you even fit on the cot?"

Eyeing the way Vin was fidgeting uncomfortably in the enclosed space and the look of horror on Ezra's face, Nathan looked at the sparse room with a fresh eye and muttered, "Ain't no worse'n where I slept as a slave. At least it's clean and safe. 'Sides, I only sleep in here when I got someone needing the bed out there."

Absent-mindedly patting Vin's hand as it clutched his sleeve, the gambler hummed thoughtfully, his mind plotting and fitting Nathan into his current plans. Suddenly his companions' silence registered and he snapped back to the present. Looking at Vin and seeing how uncomfortable the man was in the small room and then seeing the flush of embarrassment on Nathan's face, he suggested, "Why don't we head over to the saloon, Vin? Unless we get a couple of days off from Chris, we won't be able to do anything. Best we clear it with him before we get too deep in plans. Plus, there's the coffee than we never got."

"And yer pie," breathed Vin in utter relief at the thought of getting out of the room and into a more spacious place.

Nathan's stomach rumbled loudly at the thought of pie, since he'd not eaten since just after dawn that day. Further embarrassed, the tall man rubbed his stomach and smiled apologetically.

Smiling back gently, Ezra withdrew the pie from his pocket and proffered it to the healer, saying, "Here, take it. Vin and I will go down and see Chris and then return with lunch for yourself and some broth for Josiah."

"You sure? Mmmm, sho does smell good. Mrs Potter's fresh baked apple pie makes a life worth living," declared Nathan, after peeling the paper back and taking a deep appreciative sniff, making his stomach rumble loudly again.

"Yes, I'm sure and I agree that the dear woman is an exemplary baker. I've often wondered why Josiah doesn't make an effort to court her. True, the only two women that I've seen him show an interest in were of a more... shall we say, glamorous kind. But judging by how well those romantic endeavours turned out, you'd think that he'd reassess his criteria for a wife. Lord knows, he stands no chance with Mother dear, given his penurious status," mused Ezra, rubbing his thumb over his lower lip thoughtfully.

Vin, who had been a bit sad to see the pie he'd been coveting being handed over to Nathan, perked up at this new idea of matchmaking two of his favourite people. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. There weren't that many eligible single women in Four Corners, especially ones of Josiah's age. Young women weren't generally looking to hitch up with men of Josiah's age, unless they were well-heeled and Josiah was many wonderful things but wealthy wasn't one of them. There was really only Miz Nettie, who Vin acknowledged was too old for 'Siah, and the Widow Perkins who ran the laundry. Neither woman was the sort to take up with an ex-preacher turned peacekeeper.

Mrs Potter didn't need a man with money as she could continue to run the store, since she seemed to enjoy it. Josiah wasn't suited to being a shopkeeper, but he could help her with the heavy loading and unloading, as he often did now. They'd both have companionship of an evening, which was important considering Katie and Josh were getting older and more independent every day. Plus, the kids would have a strong male role model again and 'Siah would have someone to mother hen other than poor ole Ez.

Grinning brightly at Ezra Vin nodded his agreement to the sentiment, stating, "'Reckon they'd make a good match, Ez. Gloria's an attractive woman in her own way. Jist needs ta soften up her hair a mite 'n wear a bit o' colour."

Eyes brightening at the thought of drawing his two friends together, Ezra suggested, "Perhaps I could have a quiet word is Mrs Travis' ear. I'm sure things would flow more smoothly if there was a woman involved."

"Are ya'll sho you want to be opening this particular can o' worms," queried Nathan with a huge grin at the two aspiring matchmakers. "After all, if ya'll manage to get Josiah's wagon hitched to Missus Potter, that only leaves the two of you as the town's most eligible bachelors. I've got Rain, Chris is sparking Miz Travis, JD and Casey are doing whatever it is they're doing and Buck... Well, Buck is the town hound. Ain't no self-respecting woman gonna be trying to tie that man down."

Smirking as he saw Vin blush seven shades of red, Ezra chuckled and tickled his younger brother teasingly.

"Nate, I ain't lookin' ter git hitched anytime soon. Not fair ter a woman when I's got this damn bounty on ma head. Anyways, it ain't as though I got lines o' ladies wanting me ta be their beau. Who'd want a scruffy, no-account tracker who can't read or write and don't have a pot ter piss in," object Vin, smacking Ezra's hand to stop him laughing and tickling.

The physical assault wasn't necessary though as the gambler ceased to be amused as soon as his brother started his self-deprecating response. Grabbing the younger man by the shoulders, Ezra gave him a gentle shake and growled, "What have I told you about saying things like that about yourself? You would make a fine catch for any discerning young woman. The things you have to offer are of far more value than mere superficial trappings. Loyalty, intelligence, kindness, faithfulness and unselfish love are not things to be cast aside lightly, Devin Tanner. You are a good man and will make an excellent husband and father once you meet the right woman. Said woman should count her lucky stars to have won your poetic heart and I will shoot anyone who says otherwise, including you. Have I made myself clear?"

Nathan watched with astonished interest as he witnessed the brotherly bond between his friends first hand. Josiah had told him about what he'd overhead and seen, but the healer had scarcely believed that the self-absorbed gambler could show such concern for another's emotional well-being. Oh sure, he had no doubt that the southerner would put his life in peril to save his friends' lives; he'd seen the fool do it and patched him up afterwards, but the gambler always seemed so cold and self-contained emotionally. Not that he could blame the man after meeting the she-wolf who raised him. Nathan was surprised the gambler had turned out to be as caring as he was, given the mother he'd had. Despite having seen the way the southerner interacted with children and animals, he'd still thought the man to be superficial and manipulative. Fascinated, he couldn't take his eyes off the pair as Vin blushed a vivid red, grinned widely and nodded shyly in response to Ezra's second light shake and final question.

A violent coughing spasm had all three hurrying back into the main room to lift the ill man up and force more of Nathan's cough suppressing potion down his semi conscious throat. Once he was settled again, Vin and Ezra left for the saloon.

Chris was sitting in the back table that he favoured, nursing a cup of coffee and watching Buck try to flirt with Inez at the bar. Shaking his head fondly, the blond could only smirk as the big man was once again shot down by the fiery bar manager. Ezra had told him once that he predicted that they two would end up happily married someday. At the time, the dark clad man had smirked and refuted the claim but after carefully watching the two, Chris could now see how they'd make a good match. There was an underlying affection to their sparring that reminded him of his courtship with Sarah, not to mention the volatile nature of the relationship. Chuckling to himself, he drifted into fond reminiscences of his wife's fiery Irish temper. Many a lonely night had been spent sleeping in the barn hayloft until he'd learned to bite his tongue.

It was by the unusual sight of a smiling Larabee that Vin and Ezra were greeting on entering the Saloon. Vin was grinning happily as Ezra had stopped by Mrs Potter's, whilst the tracker was in the restaurant ordering a dinner to be sent up to Nathan and Josiah, and was now carrying an entire peach cobbler that he'd bought, warm from the oven, from the kindly widow. Bouncing in a manner more suited to JD than his usual quiet self, Vin went over to beg for plates, spoons and coffee from Inez.

"Ez! Watcha got there, pard? Something you're willing to share with your pals, I hope," boomed Buck, sidling up to Ezra as the southerner put the cobbler on the table and sat down to await Vin. Yelping, he quickly withdrew his hand after the gambler slapped it smartly just before a finger was poked in the middle of the treat. "Ow, no need to get nasty, Ez! I just wanted a taste."

"Bucklin, I do not want my cobbler to taste like your fingers. Lord only knows where they've been. You may have some when it has been properly dished up," scolded Ezra, scowling at the garrulous gunslinger and raising a hand threateningly in the direction of the slender hand creeping from his other side. "Christopher, don't you dare, or you won't be getting any cobbler when it's cut."

"Aw Ez, you're as bad as my Ma," grumbled Chris, good-naturedly as he obediently withdrew his hand before it could be smacked. The smells wafting from the dessert were making his mouth water and he'd be damned if he was going without.

Vin arrived with the plates and some cutlery, handing them out quickly before looking to the southerner expectantly. Soon after he, Chris and Buck were contentedly humming over their unexpected largesse, totally focussed on consuming the warm, golden, flakey, peachy goodness. Ezra shook his head fondly and took a generous portion over to Inez behind the bar, collecting the mugs and coffee pot at the same time. Returning to the table, he called sharply, "Vin! Leave some of that for JD, Nathan and me."

"Now Ez, I's jist goin' ta eat 'Siah's share, since he's too sick ta enjoy it," wheedled the sweet toothed tracker, hopefully. "'Sides, I know y'all asked Mrs Potter to send up the rest o' the apple pie ta Nathan so his share of cobbler is up fer grabs too."

A frown crossed Chris' face as he looked up from scraping his plate and he growled, "Josiah's sick? What with? When did this happen and why wasn't I told?"

"Yes, Josiah is sick. He seems to have contracted a nasty lung fever. He was unwell last night but has been incarcerated in the clinic by Nathan this morning. To answer your final question, I had fully intended telling you after we'd finished our delectable cobbler," drawled Ezra, delicately licking his spoon. Huffing in response to the big sorrowful eyes that his younger brother was directing his way, he ladled out another generous portion into the hastily proffered bowl. Rolling his eyes at the jubilant grin and eager response, he chided, "Vin, slow down and actually taste what you're eating."

Chuckling, Buck leaned back and stated, "Hell Ez, now ya sounding like my Ma."

"I commiserate with both of the poor women, having to deal with the uncivilised natures of yourself and Chris," retorted the gambler, sniffing haughtily. The act was somewhat undermined by the refilling of the two empty bowls, before covering the remains. "That's the end of it as this is for young JD. He'll need sustenance when he returns from his rounds."

Leaning back and rubbing his full stomach happily, Vin drawled, "Me n' Ez need ta head out fer a bit, Cowboy. Shouldn't be more'n a couple o' days at the most. Going over ta Vista City ta deliver some goods ter the nuns fer 'Siah, since he ain't well 'nough ta go."

Remembering that Josiah had asked to be scheduled off for a couple of days, Chris nodded absently. Whilst happy enough for the big preacher to make the journey alone, he was glad to know that Vin was taking company. Of course, he'd prefer it wasn't the young tracker's trouble twin, since the two of them together attracted more grief than a fresh cow pie collected flies. But he was confident that Ezra would look after their brother, so he just swallowed the last of his treat and offered, "Make sure you send a telegram from Vista City when you get there and another before you leave."

"Yer a worrywart, Larabee. Anybody ever tell ya that?"

"Not if they've ever met you, no."

Ezra actually snorted at Chris' dry response, then looked dismayed that the ungentlemanly noise had come from him. Shaking his head ruefully at the detrimental effect that his brothers were having on the manners instilled by Maude, he rose to his feet and took the remainder of the cobbler over to Inez to keep safe for JD.

"Well gentlemen, I must be going as I have errands to do before I have to go out on patrol this afternoon," announced Ezra, tipping his hat to the men still at the table and heading for the door. Neatly side-stepping JD as the exuberant youth barged in the door, he was gone.

"Thanks for the eats, Ez," bellowed Buck, slapping JD's hat off his head as the youth sat beside him.

"Dammit Buck, when are ya gonna quit doin' that?"

Watching the boy scramble to pick up his beloved bowler from the floor, Buck chuckled and replied, "Maybe when you get yourself a real man's hat."

Diverted from his continued tirade against the boisterous older man by the sight of the empty bowls, JD sniffed the air and asked hopefully, "Have you been eating Mrs Potter's cobbler? I just went in but she said that she'd sold the entire thing and all of the apple pie she made to Ezra. There won't be anything fresh until tomorrow now. Don't suppose there's any left?"

"Nope, don't think there is. Damn fine eating it was too. Shame you weren't a bit earlier..." teased the moustached man, trying to look suitably sorrowful in the face of the doleful look on JD's face at the thought of missing out.

"That ain't nice, Bucklin," drawled Vin from under his hat brim, "Be a shame if Ez were ta hear 'bout how yer actin'. He might not let yer have any of his future purchases, iffun he hears about how yer tormentin' the kid."

A fleeting look of worry crossed the big man's face before he huffed and got up to retrieve JD's portion from a grinning Inez, muttering about friends who took all the fun out of life. Turning back, he noticed the wide grins on his three friends' faces. It warmed his heart to see Chris looking so content. He deserved some happiness. Hell, they all did.

"Any of you laughing fools notice how squirrelly ole Ez has been lately? Lots of trips to the bank and the telegraph office. Lots of parcels of all kinds coming on the stages for him too. In fact, I'm pretty sure Old Man Jacobs driving back with a whole wagon full of stuff that had a funny kind of smile on Ez's face; sort of sad but happy all at once. Ain't seen him wearing anything new and fancy, so can't be clothes," asked Buck curiously, falling back into his chair beside JD, who was savouring his first mouthful of cobbler with a look of pure bliss on his face.

Tipping his hat back, Vin looked thoughtfully at the others. He had noticed that Ez seemed to be busier than usual, but when he asked his brother all he'd been told was that it was a surprise for them all, as well as the town. Seeing a slight frown crease Chris' forehead, he knew that the gunslinger was worrying that Ezra was in trouble. Smirking, he replied, "Yup. Ez has some project in the works, but he says it's a surprise and won't say more'n that. Whatever it is makes him real happy though."

"You think maybe he's going to try and buy the Saloon again," offered JD around the last mouthful of dessert, spraying soggy crumbs over Buck's arm in the process.

Shaking his arm in disgust, Buck thought about his friends comments. Looking up as Inez re-entered the bar from the kitchen, he called, "Hey darlin', do you know if Maude is selling the Saloon?"

"Senora Standish sold the Saloon weeks ago, Senor Buck. A gentleman from New York bought it from her and hired me to manage it for him," replied Inez coolly, waiting for them to blame her for once again taking Ezra's job or dream from him.

Putting a hand on Buck's arm before the excitable man could say something he'd regret, Vin asked politely, "Miz Inez, what's the name of the new owner?"

"Senor Henry Davenport," answered the bar manager warily.

A blinding grin spread across Vin's face as he exclaimed, "That sneaky, southern conman, he done outfoxed his Ma!"

Seeing the questions on everyone's faces, Vin sat up and spoke with unusual animation, "Don't all y'all remember? Henry Davenport was the name Ez used when we was trying ta get information on that gang of bank robbers last month in Drycreek. He must have gotten someone he knows in New York ta buy it under one o' his ... whatchercallit... assumed names. Since old Maude don't know that one, she had no reason not ta sell it. She flat out refused ta sell it ter Ez when he inquired under his own name."

A dawning understanding lit Inez's face before she murmured, "So you're saying that Senor Ezra owns the Saloon again? That Senor Ezra is my new boss?"

"Yup," replied Vin, sitting back with a satisfied air, pleased that his brother had regained his dream.

Nodding, Inez told them, "That would explain the letter of instructions from Senor Henry. I was told by Senora Standish to water the liquor much more than Senor Ezra would allow, but the letter told me to water it by the usual amounts. It also recommended that I stop opening so early in the morning and to stop serving breakfast burritos."

Gulping, JD asked in a hurt tone, "But why wouldn't he tell us? Surely, he'd want us to know. Do you think he still blames me, Josiah and Nathan for helping his Ma steal it the first time? And why stop serving the burritos. They're delicious."

"Ez don't hold grudges, JD. Says a man has enough ta carry in life without addin' ter his burdens," offered Vin kindly. "Reckon he must have his reasons fer not tellin' us. Stopping the early openings is ter stop the early mornin' noise, I reckon. Y'all know how he feels 'bout gettin' up early. I dunno about the burritos though, 'cos he loves 'em too. Might just be 'cos of the noise too."

Seeing Vin give him the evil eye and knowing that it was because of the effects that the tasty burritos had on his digestive system, Buck scowled back.

The doors opened admitting the object of their discussion, who had a spring to his step and a whistle on his lips. Slowly slightly when he saw everyone staring at him, he looked down to make sure all his fastenings were in order before raising a quizzical eyebrow and demanding, "What?"

"Oh nothing, HENRY! Just wondering when you'd be letting us in on the good news," replied Chris, smirking at his younger brother to let him know the game was over.

"Ah. I see the feline is out of its receptacle. Yes, it's true that I am once again in possession of this fine establishment, albeit under a pseudonym, but I'd be grateful if that did not become common knowledge. One never knows who might be listening and passing on information to Mother dearest," drawled Ezra, wincing slightly at the admission.

Straightening suddenly, Chris fixed his piercing gaze on the gambler and barked, "Do you know anything about what's happening to the MacPhail place?"

Ezra smiled tightly and shrugged uneasily.

"Leave 'im be, Larabee. He'll tell us when he's good and ready, won't cha Ez?"

"Yes, Vin. It will all become apparent in the fullness of time and you will all be first to know, but until then I must beg your indulgence in the matter and ask that you maintain the highest level of secrecy," pleaded Ezra of them all, including Inez, his green eyes widening entreatingly.

After getting their agreement, the gambler regained his equilibrium and sat at the table inviting them to a game of chance. Despite the fact that their curiosity was eating them all alive, the rest of the day was passed quietly.

The following morning found Ezra and Vin arriving at the clinic to find Josiah still sleeping.

"He was coughing most of the night, but still insisting that he go to see his sister," Nathan informed them upon their arrival. Standing up to stretch his long back, he groaned appreciatively when several vertebrae cracked and released tension. Ezra had come up the afternoon before to spell him and Buck had taken the evening shift, but he'd been on duty most of the night.

"Why don't you go down and get some breakfast? I believe that Mrs Travis offered to take over the morning watch for us. In the interim, I will wake him and explain the change of plans," offered Ezra.

"Alright. See if you can get some more of what's in that mug on the table into him. He don't like the taste, but it's good for his chest. There's fresh water in the jug and hot water on the stove if it's needed," stated the healer. Yawning widely, he stumbled out the door in search of food and coffee.

Shivering as a breeze snuck in through a gap in the wall, Ezra went to sit on the bed beside the sick man. Putting the heel of his hand on the preacher's broad chest, Ezra rubbed small hard circles and called softly, "Josiah, wake up now. Wake up, we need to speak to you."

After much urging, Josiah struggled back to consciousness and peered blearily up at his heart sons and asked, "What? Is it time to leave for the convent?"

Waiting for the explosive coughing fit that speaking triggered in his friend to pass, Ezra stated firmly, "Josiah, you are not well enough to go anywhere. Vin and I are going to take the goods you ordered from Mrs Potter to Sister Ignatius and that is the end of it. Uh, uh, uh. I know you don't want to let Hannah down, but it's better that she's disappointed for a week or so until you're well again than for you to give your sister and everyone else at the convent lung fever, isn't it? Not a very festive present."

Fever bright blue eyes fixed on Ezra, gauging his honesty. Finally, Josiah wearily closed his eyes and slumped against the pillows in resignation, moaning, "You're right. I can't risk carrying the fever to them."

Thumbing away the tear that rolled from the corner of his big friend's eye, Ezra murmured, "It's really for the best, 'Siah. Would you like to pen a note for Hannah, or would you like me to take something down for you?"

Weakly shaking his head, Josiah coughed and grated out, "She can't read anymore. Lost her words. Can't speak properly either. The good Lord only knows if she understands me when I'm there. Sister Ignatius says that she does as she's told by the sisters, but ..."

Scooping the big man back into his arms, Ezra held him as he alternated between coughing and crying. Finally, once the preacher was exhausted Ezra fed him the mug full of potion and laid him back on the pillows. Stroking the backs of his fingers over the bearded cheek, he said softly, "You just rest and get well, 'Siah. Vin and I will take care of Hannah. We'll see you on our return."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not an expert in mental health or nun's names. This is not a gritty documentary full of factual accounts. Suspend your beliefs and it may be an enjoyable little chapter.

"C'mon Ez, ya can trust me," wheedled Vin from his position on Peso's back as he rode the horse beside the wagon full of goods. They'd made good time and were approaching the convent, having made a brief stop in Vista City to send the requested telegram to their protective older brothers.

Smiling indulgently, Ezra just shook his head and repeated, "I trust you more than any soul in the world, as you well know, Vin. The only person in my life whom I have trusted more was my beloved Emmaline, but it will ruin the surprise if I tell you."

Warmth enveloped the tracker at the words, even though he already knew that his brother trusted him it was still nice to hear the sentiment spoken aloud. Trying not to whine, he tried one more time, "Please Ez? Please? I promise not ter tell the others. It's eating at me."

Sighing, Ezra replied, "You know that I recently reacquired the Saloon..."

Nudging Peso closer, Vin nodded and said eagerly, "Yeah."

"Well, I own it outright thanks to an unexpected bequeathment from a distant but fondly remembered relative," explained the southerner, his face softening as he remembered the eccentric old Scotsman he'd been dumped on for his tenth summer.

'Uncle' Hamish had been a gruff, blustery old soul, but he'd loved and nurtured the young southerner as though he were his own flesh and blood. They'd had a grand time that summer and Ezra had been most upset at being taken away by Maude, pleading with her to be left in his uncle's care. The selfish conwoman had other plans for him, however, so the pleas fell on deaf ears once again. Fortunately, he'd managed to maintain a relationship with Hamish via written correspondence over the years. Hamish wrote once a week, but kept the letters in a bundle until he received a telegram from Ezra confirming that he'd be in a town for decent length of time, then he'd send them all at once. The boxes of letters, shortbread biscuits, tea and odd bits and pieces were all that kept Ezra sane at times when he'd been abandoned with less caring people.

Hamish had actually arranged for the reverend of the town church to rescue the young southern boy from a cruel 'Uncle' who'd taken it upon himself to whip some obedience into the 'devil' child. The sheriff had been unable to do anything as it wasn't illegal to whip a child. Now the irascible old gent was gone, having died peacefully in his sleep, and left all his worldly goods to the 'wee southern laddie' who'd crept into his heart all those summers ago.

Vin rode quietly, listening as Ezra told him about his uncle. The tracker wasn't even sure that Ezra knew he was talking, but he listened and thanked the Great Spirit that there was someone to save his brother. Shuddering at the thought that Ezra could have died before they'd had a chance to meet, he asked softly, "Did ya ever get ta see him again?"

Pulling himself out of his memories, Ezra rubbed his moist eyes with his sleeve and turned to smile at the tracker as he said, "A few times; far too few. I was grievously wounded in the late unpleasantness, as you know, and Uncle Hamish came to see me as I was convalescing. I also ran away from Maude when I was around twelve and found my way back to Hamish's, where I spent a long pleasant winter tucked away in his library, before she found me. He came to my wedding and visited after the birth of each of my children. The last time I saw him was shortly after I'd visited my revenge upon the miserable wretches who'd stolen the lives of my beautiful wife and our babies. I was in a pitiful state. I'd collapsed at the jail after taking the bodies in and the sheriff managed to get Hamish's name off me before I lapsed into a non-responsive state, brought on by grief, exhaustion, starvation and dehydration. Hamish came immediately, despite his age and encroaching infirmity. It was his love and attention that brought me back and allowed me to live."

"Then I got a lot ter thank yer Uncle Hamish fer," stated Vin, reaching out to clamp a strong hand of support on the bowed shoulder of his brother. "I's sorry fer yer loss, Ez."

"You and I both, Vin. I just wish I could have attended his funeral, but I wasn't notified until it was all over. I think he was afraid of Maude finding out about it and somehow finagling my inheritance from me. The first I knew of it was the letter from his lawyer that came with the delivery crates," answered the grief-stricken gambler, smiling shakily and patting the hand on his shoulder. Sniffing, he looked up and saw that they were almost at the convent gates. "But there now, the rest will have to wait until after we've greeted our gracious hostess."

Looking up, Vin saw that Sister Ignatius was standing at the front gate of the convent waiting for them with a placid look on her face. Letting go of Ezra, he urged Peso forward.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. I trust you had an uneventful journey," called the sister, following the men after shutting the gate after them. Ezra pulled the wagon to a halt and Vin dismounted, both thankful to have arrived at their destination.

"It was a very peaceful trip, Sister, thank you. I hope that all is well with you and those under your care," replied Ezra, climbing down from his seat stiffly. Moving over to the sister with a little less of his usual grace and fluidity, he bowed slightly to the woman.

"We are all well, although we were sad to hear of Mr Sanchez's illness and will miss his company. We have been including him in our prayers," she replied, nodding back to acknowledge Vin's shy hat tip.

Stepping away from the sister, Ezra was slapping dust from his coat as he told her, "An act that Josiah would truly appreciate, Sister, and I will be sure to tell him of it upon our return. Now then, we should begin unpacking the wagon for you before we lose the light."

Having unpacked the wagon and washed the trail dirt off themselves, the two men soon found themselves sitting at a long wooden trestle table with Sister Ignatius and the other sisters. Vin was fidgeting uncomfortably between the wizened Sister Clement and the fierce Sister Eustace, whilst Ezra was sat facing him wedged between the rather portly Sister Bernardine and slightly deaf Sister Barbara . Looking down at his plate, Ezra tried to hide his smirk at the quirky humour of his hostess. Sitting him between two sisters named for the patron saints of gambling and artillerymen and his young brother between those named for the patron saints of tanners and hunting appealed to his own sense of humour. No doubt, the good sister had been appraised of all their brethren's characteristics by Josiah on a previous visit.

Lifting his head, he smiled warmly at the diminutive sister sitting next to Sister Ignatius and said, "My compliments on the fine meal, Sister Lawrence."

"It was a work of love, brother Ezra, so no thanks are needed. I'm glad that you enjoyed what you ate of it, although brother Vin seems to have eaten most of your share as well as his own. Are you ailing? Should we have Sister Gerard take a look at you?"

Grinning at Vin, who was a flaming shade of red and was staring determinedly at his empty plate, Ezra gave him a light nudge on the shin and winked at him when he looked up, causing him to smile shyly and relax. Turning back to the patiently waiting sister, he replied, "I am quite well, thank you Sister, and need no medical aid. I simply eat sparingly as my stomach has never tolerated large meals well. Vin, on the other hand, needs fattening up as he's all hair and gristle. We make a balanced pair when it comes to meals as he has the satisfaction of eating what I cannot and I have the satisfaction of seeing an excellent meal appreciated by us both to our individual repletion."

When their offer to help with the dishes was politely rebuffed, Vin and Ezra wandered out to the gardens. Finding a comfortable bench, Ezra sat and pulled out the book that he and Vin had been reading together. Reading aloud to the tracker as Vin prowled around the garden, sniffing herbs and pulling the odd weed out, they passed the time until darkness fell. Bedding down in the hayloft, they spent a comfortable and warm night with the sounds of the night and the animals as a lullaby. Although the surprise return of an owl from the hunt did cause Ezra to spring up, derringer in hand, at one point to Vin's great amusement. The tracker had chuckled warmly and mumbled that Ezra should recognise one of his own.

After breakfast, Ezra produced a sack that he'd held back when unloading supplies. Going to a sunlight room as directed by Sister Ignatius, he instructed Vin to sit on the wide windowsill and watch the sisters working in the kitchen garden outside. Then he pulled a large sketch pad and an artist's pencil from the sack and commenced sketching.

Meanwhile, the sister in charge of Hannah had ensured that the traumatized woman had drunk a full mug of Nathan's calming herbal tea at breakfast. The effect had taken hold, so Sister Christina now led the complacent, slightly groggy older woman into the same room that held Vin and Ezra.

Seeing men in the room only vaguely registered with Hannah, but she immediately started to pull at Sister Christina's hand and back towards the door. Thanks to the tea, her reaction was mild compared to how she would usually have reacted, so she was able to notice the sketch in Ezra's hands. Having back up to the wall as far from the men as possible, Hannah slid down to sit with her knees to her chest with her arms hugging her legs. Rocking slightly as she made a low keening noise of distress, she watched the two men warily to see what they would do.

Vin had been told of the plan, so ignored the entrance of Hannah as instructed. He continued to watch as a sister with the same height and breadth of Josiah wrestled a large mother pig out of the garden and back towards its pen. Two other sisters, Barbara and Eustace, were herding the piglets after them. He chuckled quietly when one of the piglets took off in another direction with a young novitiate in hot pursuit.

After ten more minutes, Ezra slowly bent and rummaged in his bag for some paints and brushes. His outline of Vin was complete and the next step was to fill it with colour. In a low voice, he started to sing an old Scottish ballad that Hamish would sing to him. Not wanting to remind Hannah of her father with a hymn, or offend the sisters with a saloon song, he thought that The Bonny Birdy should be innocuous enough. Besides, it soothed the ache left in his heart by the old man's passing.

They sat like that for two hours, during which time Vin sat perfectly still listening to Ezra singing and Hannah gradually crept closer and closer to the first source of art she'd had in decades. The sisters sang but it was religious music and reminded her of her father, so she hid her head under her pillow at those times and cried. This music was different, sometimes light and airy, sometimes warm and soothing, sometimes in different languages, but always comforting.

Sister Clare sewed great works of embroidery which were sold to support the convent, but there were no painters or artists. Within arms reach of Ezra now, Hannah peered through her hair at the almost finished portrait of Vin and gasped at the beauty of it. When Ezra never stopped painting or singing in response to her presence, she grew bolder and stretched out a hand to touch the paint with one trembling finger. Glancing up at Ezra and noting that he was still focused on his subject, Hannah settled next to him, eagerly watching the brush strokes create magic.

By lunchtime, Vin was desperate to move as his back was hurting and there was nothing more of interest to see out the window. He'd been watching a hawk twirl and spiral on the winds for a while and composing a poem about it. Ezra always wanted to hear his poems and wrote them down for him in a big blank book, so he made a mental note to recite it to Ezra later. Having promised the gambler that he would be still and quiet until told he could move, he'd been doing his best but he had no control of his stomach which chose a silent moment between songs to rumble loudly.

Chuckling softly, Ezra looked down at Hannah and whispered, "Would it be alright to show Vin his picture?"

Hannah seemed entranced by the man who sang and painted so beautifully, so she nodded slowly. Sister Christina, who sat on a chair near the door chaperoning her charge and making sure that she had regular sups of the calming tea, crossed herself and silently sent prayers of thanks to the lord for the miracle she was witnessing.

"Vin, would you like to come over and see your picture?"

Moving slowly, as though approaching a wild deer, Vin crept over to where Ezra was sitting on a chair with Hannah at his feet. Sitting on the opposite site of Ezra's legs, he looked at the picture and his jaw dropped. The southerner had managed to capture him with a look of wildness and longing, as though he were a caged cougar staring at the mountains and freedom. It was a perfect likeness, from the way the light turned his hair and stubble gold, to the shadows cast by the fringes on his jacket. Looking closely, he even saw the faint outline of the hawk he'd been watching.

Giving a low whistle of admiration, Vin breathed, "Damn Ezra, is there anything that yer not good at?"

A surprised laugh burst from Ezra at Vin's comment and he responded with his usual humility, "Staying out of trouble. I've found that no matter how hard I try, trouble still seems to find me."

"You and me both, pard."

After a moment, both men chuckled warmly, amused by thoughts of their past adventures and the reactions of the others to them.

Hannah had backed away a little as Vin approached, watching him warily. As he spoke, she cocked her head, seemingly fascinated by his drawling, raspy voice. Making sure that Ezra stayed between her and Vin, Hannah inched closer. Reaching up she patted Ezra lightly on the chest before snatching her hand back. When he continued to just stare at her with a quizzical look, she humphed and reached up to pat him again then touched her lips.

"Think she wants yer ta sing again?"

"I don't know. Would you like me to sing again, Miss Hannah?"

Giggling in delight, Hannah clapped lightly and looked expectantly at Vin.

"I think she just wants to hear us talk, Vin. I'm not sure why but perhaps it's our accents."

"Ez, I don't mind sitting still fer hours, but yer know I ain't got much ta say. And I's getting awful hungry 'n I don't have ma jerky on me," commented the tracker in a doleful tone, rubbing his stomach as it growled again.

"Perhaps you would care to join Hannah and myself as we eat our luncheon," suggested Sister Christina quietly from her chair. "We generally eat on our own as crowds upset Hannah, but she seems to have been won over by the two of you."

They enjoyed a picnic lunch in a sunlight, sheltered patch of the garden, where Hannah made Vin choke on his bread when she unexpectedly reached across and pulled his hair out of curiosity having never seen a long-haired man, making Ezra laugh merrily as he thumped the tracker on the back.

After lunch, Hannah seemed to be tired so the men withdrew to chop some wood whilst she rested. Well, Vin chopped wood whilst Ezra supervised with one of the convent's cats curled up on his lap. The physical activity did wonders for Vin after being so still all morning, but he was still going to ask Ezra for a back rub that night. Just before dinner, they met again in the big room and this time Ezra encouraged Hannah to paint something for Josiah.

Vin, Ezra and Sister Christina all watched with bated breath as Hannah tentatively put the brush into some of the black paint before looking at Ezra for approval. Upon receiving a warm smile, she cautiously dabbed at the paper in front of her. After staring at the mark on the paper for a full five minutes, Hannah whirled into action painting feverishly. Her audience watched, trying to discern exactly what the subject of her painting was but it remained a mystery.

After twenty minutes, Hannah stopped and tilted her head with the wooden end of the paintbrush in her mouth, staring at her masterpiece as though trying to decide if it was finished. Carefully putting the brush down as though it were the most precious thing in the world, Hannah then picked up her piece and thrust it towards Ezra.

"Why, thank you, darlin'. It's just lovely and I'm sure that Josiah will treasure it," said Ezra, still completely baffled as to what the swirling mish mash of bright colours and stark black could be. Much like a child's painting, it had no discernible subject except to the artist. But Hannah smiled happily at Ezra's approval, so that was all that mattered.

Pushing the box of paints and paper towards Ezra, Hannah stared at the southerner avidly.

"What is it, Miss Hannah? What do you want?"

A frown creased her brow as she tried to muddle through in her mind how to get her desire across to the pretty man. Bright, light blue eyes that already showed more life than they had in decades, shone up at Ezra as she pointed at the painting of Vin where it lay drying on the windowsill, then pointed at Ezra before pointing at a blank page.

Seeing eyes so like Josiah's staring at him caused Ezra to wish the big man were here to witness this re-emergence of part of his sister. Finally catching onto what Hannah was asking, after she'd repeated the gesture with a little more frustration, he clarified, "You want me to paint myself? Is that what you're asking, Miss Hannah?"

Nodding vigorously, Hannah nudged the paints again. Sister Ignatius stood at the doorway with a hand over her mouth and tears running down her weathered cheeks. Truly God had smiled on Hannah Sanchez by sending these men to her.

An hour later and Hannah was in possession of both the paintings of Vin and Ezra, waving happily at them as she was led to her bedroom by Sister Christina. They weren't to know that Hannah intended to pin them to one of the walls in her stark, whitewashed room.

"Yer going ta do one o' Josiah fer her 'fore we go, ain'tcha Ez?"

Choked up at the emotions of seeing Hannah as she was before her life stripped her of all hope, Ezra simply nodded.

Seeing his distress, Vin sidled up to his brother and put his arm around the southerner's shoulders for a half hug, saying fondly, "Yer jist a big ole softie, Ez. Ta think yer had us all believin' that yer was hard and shifty fer so long."

Leaning into Vin with a watery chuckle, Ezra sniffed before stepping away when Sister Ignatius approached them.

"Brothers, I just had to come and thank you for your help with Hannah. All these years of silence and withdrawal and you've brought her soul into the light again. Rest assured, we will not allow her to go back into the darkness. I will make sure that she always has time to paint each day with your most generous gift," said the Sister, taking first Ezra's and then Vin's right hand and pressing it firmly between her own.

"If one of your good Sisters is musically inclined, I'd recommend that Hannah be sung to and encouraged to perhaps play a simple instrument also. I'm told that as a child, Hannah loved to sing and dance so she should also enjoy it now. But I'd recommend that you do not sing any hymns with her for the foreseeable future, as it will remind her of dark times," replied Ezra, smoothly diverting the sister from her praise.

"Lamentably I agree. It is truly the work of evil to use the Lord's words to torment and punish an innocent child. Hymns should be a source of joy and comfort, not fear," fretted the elderly sister.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

At breakfast the next day, Ezra and Vin bade farewell to the kindly sisters. Afterwards they made their way to the big room again, finding Hannah absorbed in her paints. Erring on the side of caution, Ezra gestured for Sister Christina to go to Hannah and tell her that they were there. He didn't want to spring their appearance on the woman and undo all of their progress, despite knowing that Hannah had once again been given the calmative tea. Ezra had brought enough for a month and promised to send more on a regular basis, along with art supplies. Vin had whittled a simple three note whistle for her to play the night before and left it with Sister Christina.

Seeing the two men at the door brought a wide, toothy smile to her face, making her look much younger than her age and reminding them forcefully of Josiah. Waving to them, she pointed excitedly at her picture and started to paint again.

Walking over, Ezra knelt by Hannah's side and asked gently, "Miss Hannah, could I have a moment of your time, please?"

Putting the brush down carefully, Hannah sat up cross-legged with her paint smeared hands in her lap.

"It's time for us to leave now, Miss Hannah, and we both wanted to come and say goodbye."

Tears welled in the light blue eyes as Hannah's lower lip started to tremble.

"Now, now, none of that," soothed the gambler, slowly and carefully reaching forward to cup the lined, yet child-like face. "We'll be back to visit, but we have to go home now and tell Josiah all about our visit. He was very sad that he couldn't come himself, but he didn't want to give you his sickness. I've left you lots of paints and Vin has left a whistle for you with the Sister. I also have this for you."

Handing over the painting, Vin and Sister Christine gazed at it in wonder as it was the first time they'd seen it. It showed both Josiah and Hannah in profile, smiling at each other with eyes alight and Josiah's hand cupping his sister's unseen cheek. The look of love could easily be seen and made the picture seem alive.

Frowning at the obviously old woman in the painting, Hannah shook her head faintly, unable to reconcile the image with how she saw herself in her head. Having regressed back to a time before the world hurt her, she traced her finger lightly over the woman in the picture and stated wistfully, "Mmmm... Mamma."

"Oh dear, I was afraid this would happen," murmured the gambler, sitting back on his ankles, ignoring the gasps of wonder Sisters Ignatius and Christina gave at hearing Hannah speak coherently for the first time in decades.

Squatting down next to Ezra, Vin asked quietly, "What? What's happenin'?"

"Hannah sees herself as a little girl in her mind, so whilst she recognises Josiah in the picture as the man who comes to visit, she's not associating him with her brother or her true face as herself. She probably doesn't know who Josiah is when he visits and she thinks that the woman in the picture is her mother. They both obviously take after their mother quite a bit, although Josiah's build and jaw line he got from his father," explained the gambler, running his thumb over his lower lip thoughtfully.

A worried frown creased Sister Christina's brow as she asked, "Is there anything that can be done? It seems a shame for her not to recognise her only family."

"Perhaps... It's a risk, but..." mumbled Ezra, obviously debating with himself as to whether or not to follow his intuition. Looking up and seeing nothing but trust in the eyes of both Vin and the sister, he then turned to see Hannah continuing to trace her own face on the page and whimpering. Nodding decisively, he turned to the artists' folder beside him, riffled through it and withdrew another painting before placing it gently over the top of the one Hannah was tracing.

Vin gripped Ezra's shoulder when he saw the painting. It was of a young, long-haired, blonde girl dancing in a meadow with wildflowers in her hair and joyous, youthful glee on her face. A tall, sturdily built boy with close-cropped curly blond hair stood protectively nearby, laughing happily as he watched the girl. The eyes, mouths and facial structure marked them as a young Hannah and Josiah. Having seen a photo of the Sanchez's that had been taken when Hannah was about four years old, Vin could see immediately that the children in the painting were slightly older versions of that photo.

Hannah stared at the picture as though frozen for a full ten minutes as the others waited for her reaction, hardly daring to breathe. Finally, a tear trickled down her wasted cheek and dripped off her chin. A breath left her, a sound more susseration than vocalisation. "'Ssssiah."

When nothing further happened, Ezra knelt beside her and whispered, "Yes, Josiah. That's your brother Josiah and that's you."

Nodding vaguely, Hannah fixed her gaze on her brother, repeated longingly, "'Ssssiah."

"Yes, Hannah. But that was a long time ago and Josiah looks very different now. Now, Josiah looks like the other painting," explained the gambler, moving the top one down so that Hannah could see them both. Pointing at the figures in question, he said gently, "You see? Josiah grew up and now he looks like this."

Hovering her own hand over Ezra's, Hannah frowned at the young Josiah and then the older version. Backwards and forwards as the gambler continued to say the big man's name over and over. Finally, Hannah stroked her finger down the older version's stubbled cheek and whispered hesitantly, "'Siah?"

Nodding when Hannah looked up at him for confirmation, Ezra tapped the painting again and repeated firmly, "Josiah."

Sitting back with her hands twisting the grey plait that fell to her waist, Hannah chewed on her bottom lip. Vin, the sisters and Ezra watched her anxiously, wondering if this connection would send her back into the abyss of insanity. Suddenly the colour of her own hair seemed to register with the woman, then she ran her fingers lightly over the back of her hand as if noting the aged skin, then both hands went to her face and seemed to map the wrinkles and lines that a life of anguish had carved into her once beautiful skin, then the hands fell to her chest where they encountered a fuller chest than a child's. The watcher's saw her eyes grow sharper and more focussed as she leaned forward again and with a shaking hand pointed to the older version of herself and murmured, "Hannah?"

Tears stinging his eyes, Ezra nodded firmly again and echoed, "Hannah."

Pushing the paintings away, Hannah scuttled back until she hit the wall and shouted, "NO!"

Holding the sister back, Ezra watched as Hannah sat rocking with her hands over her ears, whimpering. A tear fell from each of his eyes as he hung his head.

"Ez, it was worth the risk. Next time 'Siah visits, she might not take on so bad," encouraged the tracker, putting his arm around his brother's shoulders. "She might recognise him."

"It's true, Mr Standish. It was a good idea and we will keep the paintings and hang them in Hannah's room so that she may become accustomed to the idea. I imagine it was quite a shock to her mind to lose so many years so quickly," agreed Sister Christina, laying a gentle hand to Ezra's bowed head before moving to sit with the distraught older woman.

Heaving a sigh from his toes, Ezra sniffed and mumbled, "I should have known better. I moved too fast, but we'd had such remarkable success and I thought... Still, I should have moved slower. Given her more time to adjust..."

Moving to sit down cross-legged facing Ezra, Vin grabbed the slightly shorter man into a hug, saying fiercely, "No more, Ez. Ya done a good thing here. Brung some colour inter a dark world. Even iffun Hannah can't take knowing she's older, at least she's got her paints now. The sisters will continue what yer started and who knows how she'll be when we come back."

Leaning into his friend wearily, Ezra soaked up the love and comfort coming from the younger man. Sighing, he thanked the gambling gods for making him take the risk of trusting his heart and accepting the tracker as family. Maude was a fool if she thought cutting herself off from this sort of support was worth avoiding the pain. Putting his arms around Vin, he gave the slight man an almighty squeeze of thankfulness and then quickly released him to sit up straight.

"Damn, Ez, warn a man would ya," wheezed Vin, whose breath had left him in a massive whuff with the squeeze to his ribs. Despite his lack of oxygen, he grinned at Ezra and punched him lightly on the shoulder, just to express how pleased he was with the sudden hug.

Flashing a gold tinted grin, Ezra pushed Vin's shoulder then leapt to his feet and offered the tracker a hand up. Hauling Vin to his feet, he gave his brother's shoulder an affectionate pat and then slowly made his way over to Hannah.

"Miss Hannah? We're going to go now, but we'll be back soon to visit. I've left you lots of lovely coloured paints for you to use in the meantime. I hope that yah'll enjoy 'em," crooned the southerner, deliberately thickening his accent for the last sentence.

Taking his cue, Vin squatted down next to Ezra and drawled, "Sure was a pleasure seein' y'all agin, Miz Hannah. Y'all take care o' yerself 'til we meet agin."

Peering out from under her arm, Hannah's shy child-like smile brightened her face. Suddenly, she lunged forward and threw an arm around each man's neck and hugged them tight enough to deprive them of oxygen. Just as they were about to try to free themselves, Hannah released them and huddled back into Sister Christine's side, blushing furiously.

"Why thank you, darlin', that was a lovely going away hug," crooned the gambler, slightly out of breath.

"Yeah, thanks Miz Hannah," croaked Vin hoarsely, rubbing his abused throat which had impacted harshly with Hannah's boney shoulder. Despite his discomfort, he couldn't help smiling at the giggles coming from the woman/child.

Pulling themselves to their feet, they both gave a half bow to the still seated sister when she added her thanks and farewells. Then waving backwards to Hannah, they made their way out.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song in this chapter is probably a bit iffy for timing depending on when Vin was born, but assuming the series was set in the late 1870's – early 1880's and Vin's about 22/23, it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility. Allow me some creative licence and thank you to Stephen Collins Foster for his beautiful words. I make no money from this story, so please don't sue me.

"C'mon Ez, tell me!"

"Lord, Vin, you're worse than a child. I've told you repeatedly that it will spoil the surprise if I tell you," ground out Ezra, his patience waning rapidly. They were only half way home and Vin had been on his case since they left Vista City with a mysteriously (for the tracker at least) full wagon. Looking back, Ezra caught his brother leaning from the saddle to lift the cover of the wagon and peer underneath. "Devin James Tanner! You stop that right now!"

Startled almost to the point of falling off Peso, Vin immediately straightened up and dropped back a few paces. Starting to pout, he caught himself and realised that he was behaving like a child. His whole body was itching with curiosity though and he needed a distraction, so he suggested, "There's a good place ter camp up ahead, Ez. May as well set up early. We'll be home in Four Corners by lunchtime tomorrow."

"Alright Vin," agreed Ezra, his shoulders aching from hunching over the reins. Driving a wagon was a horrible way to travel; almost as bad as being bounced around inside a stagecoach. He longed for the smooth carriage of his beloved horse, which set him to hoping that JD had been taking care of Chaucer to the steed's satisfaction. Chuckling he figured the boy would know soon enough if he was lacking as the feisty horse would take a lump from the first available body part.

Perking up when he heard Ezra chuckle, Vin urged Peso up alongside the wagon. Hating to have one of the others mad at him, especially Ezra or Chris, he called, "I'm goin' ahead ta make sure there ain't no-one else at ma spot. You just keep straight on until ya hear me holler. 'kay?"

"Alright Vin. Take care now," replied the gambler, glad to have a brief respite from his friend's insatiable curiosity. His grand project should be all but completed upon his return, merely waiting for the final pieces that were lying in the bed of the wagon behind him. Ted Jacobs had done an exceptional job of overseeing all the work. Yosemite and his sons had done most of it for him, so all had been sworn to secrecy. A blinding grin spread across his face as he watched Vin race away on Peso; he couldn't wait to reveal his surprise.

Suddenly he felt his heart stutter. What if the others didn't like what he'd done? Part of it, they couldn't complain about in any good conscience. Perhaps the town would think he'd taken too much upon himself, but he had consulted with the Judge who'd approved it all. The old man had been slightly sceptical of his motives to start with, but had come around to approve it all in the end. No-one else was aware of what he'd been doing to the vast empty building that Eugene MacPhail had abandoned when his wife had died a month after his sister passed. They'd built it with the intention of opening a bakery and restaurant in one half of the lower floor, which Mr MacPhail and his wife would run, and a clothing shop in the other half run by Miss Euphemia. The floor above was to be their joint living quarters. When Uncle Hamish had left his worldly possessions to the gambler, he's immediately bought the saloon and then plotted ways to invest the rest. Buying the MacPhail building and the building next to it, which was currently used as the barber's store with the barber living above, was just the first stage of his grand plan.

Rolling into the campsite, he grinned at the sight of Vin standing by the waterhole gutting fish that he'd already caught. The tracker truly was a self-reliant man when out in the wilds.

"I have some potatoes we can fry up with those," called Ezra, groaning as he stretched out the kinks in this back and tried to restore the feeling in his butt. Lifting the cover on the wagon, he rummaged around in the many parcels and finally pulled out the one of food stuffs.

Grinning in welcome, Vin loped over to the fire where his battered frying pan was already sizzling hot. Reaching into his saddle bags, he hauled out a sealed jar of lard and scooped out some to add to the pan. Cursing and falling back on his butt, he scowled up at Ezra who stood over him laughing.

"You know better than to put the lard in a hot pan, Vin. Now the fish are all dusty," scolded the gambler with a chuckle, throwing the bag of potatoes and onions to Vin. Picking up the string of gutted fish, he wandered down to the water to wash them.

After a satisfying meal, the two men lay side by side watching the fire. Vin had his harmonica out and was lazily huffing out a half remembered tune that his mother used to sing to him. Recognising the melody, Ezra hummed along and then started singing the chorus:

"Sweet visions attend thy sleep,

Fondest, dearest to me,

While others their revels keep,

I will watch over thee…"

Stunned, Vin stopped playing and turned to his brother. Grabbing the gambler's arm, he rasped through an emotion clogged throat, "They's words fer the music?"

Startled by the sudden change in atmosphere, Ezra nodded and sat up. Seeing the unshed tears in Vin's face, he replied gently, "Yes, Vin. The song you were playing is called 'Slumber, My Darling'. A man called Stephen Collins Foster wrote it. Didn't you know it had words?"

Shaking his head slightly, Vin bowed his head as a memory of his mother swept over him. He could almost feel her arms around him as she cradled him to her chest, singing the song softly to him. It had been just before she passed and they'd been rocking in the old rocking chair on the porch of their little shack, completely happy in each other's company and oblivious to the impending tragedy about to befall them. Shuddering with the emotion, Vin gladly wrapped his arms around Ezra when the older man gathered him into a hug. Choking on a sob, he pleaded, "Sing the rest?"

Instinctively knowing that this was something to do with his brother's beloved and much missed mother, Ezra took him into his arms in an attempt to shield him from the pain. Barely hearing the whispered request, he hummed a little before singing the words of the sweet song.

"Slumber, my darling, thy mother is near,

Guarding thy dreams from all terror and fear,

Sunlight has pass'd and the twilight has gone,

Slumber, my darling, the night's coming on.

Sweet visions attend thy sleep,

Fondest, dearest to me,

While others their revels keep,

I will watch over thee.

Slumber, my darling, the birds are at rest,

The wandering dews by the flow'rs are caressed,

Slumber, my darling, I'll wrap thee up warm,

And pray that the angels will shield thee from harm.

Slumber, my darling, till morn's blushing ray

Brings to the world the glad tidings of day;

Fill the dark void with thy dreamy delight-

Slumber, thy mother will guard thee tonight,

Thy pillow shall sacred be

From all outward alarms;

Thou, thou are the world to me

In thine innocent charms.

Slumber, my darling, the birds are at rest,

The wandering dews by the flow'rs are caressed,

Slumber, my darling, I'll wrap thee up warm,

And pray that the angels will shield thee from harm"

Silence wrapped around them as the song ended, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the shifting of the horses. Tears of his own and Vin's had drenched Ezra's collar, but he paid it no mind as he carded his fingers through Vin's hair, gently detangling the snarls encountered.

Lying quietly against Ezra for a long while, Vin eventually heaved a massive sigh and lifted a hand to wipe away the last of his tears. Sitting up and sniffing, he whispered, "I'd almost forgot what Mama looked like. Hearing ya sing that song brought her back ta me, like I's a sprout cuddled up on her lap without a care in the world. Can't believe I could forget somethin' like that. She used ta stroke my hair like you's doin' and tell me stories of my pa. My hair's like his, long and curly, she tole me. He was always forgettin' ta go ter the barbers. He tried ta git mama ta cut it fer him, but she tole him she liked it long so's she could run her fingers through it."

Stopping with a sheepish smile, Vin peered over at Ezra through tear clumped lashes, looking all of five years old.

"Your mother was taken from you nearly twenty years ago, Vin, and memories will fade. But the love she had for you and yours for her will always be in your heart, even after the memories fade," comforted Ezra, thinking of his own lost loved ones. Smiling fondly at his young brother, Ezra ran his hand lightly over Vin's hair and said, "Your hair suits you and whilst you need to keep it trimmed to avoid painful tangles, there's no reason for you to cut it short."

Nodding, Vin glanced down at the ground before looking back into the emerald eyes staring at him with concern and affection. Chewing on his lip for a minute, he finally asked, "Ya think, maybe, iffun I's ta tell ya about what I remember… Maybe… Maybe yer could draw my Mama for me? So's I got a likeness ta remember her by. Ya did such a fine job of the painting of Hannah and 'Siah when they's kids..."

The hopeful note in Vin's voice along with the bright blue eyes that focused on him made it impossible for the gambler to say no. Getting up to retrieve his sketch pad and pencil, he came back to sit beside Vin. Opening up the pad to a fresh page, he advised, "Lean back, close your eyes and think of your mother. Then just let the words come."

An hour later and Vin was holding his breath as he waited for Ezra to finish the painting. They'd thrown a couple of sketches into the fire before getting one that looked mostly like what the tracker remembered. It was well and truly dark, with only a sliver of moon, so the gambler was hunched near the fire using the light from it to finish. Using Vin's bone structure and creating a softer version of his facial features, he seemed to have gotten a likeness that matched his brother's hazy recollections. They'd probably never know if it was a true likeness without a photograph, but the Tanners had been too poor to have their photo taken. Adding one final touch of rose to the lower lip, the gambler knew he'd finished.

Beckoning Vin over, Ezra asked, "Does this look anything like your mother?"

Seeing the picture, Vin sucked in his breath and reached unconsciously for the sketch pad. There was his Mama, smiling a beaming grin back at him the way she used to when he came running in to hug her legs just because he loved her. Her eyes, the same shade of blue as his own, were sparkling and her long brown hair was pulled back in a simple plait which hung over her shoulder. Watching her plait her hair had always seemed like magic to him when he was a littlun. Her dress was the same brown one he remembered her wearing, the one with tiny little yellow roses printed on it.

Quickly reaching to stop Vin from pulling the still wet painting to his chest, Ezra squeezed the captured forearms and smiled understandingly. Obviously he'd managed to capture Carys Tanner's likeness to the satisfaction of his young friend. It was a pity that Vin had no memories of his father, other than the stories told to him by his mother. Sadly, Michael Tanner had died when Vin was only a few months old, killed in the line of duty as a Texas Ranger. Speaking quietly, he said, "Don't hold it close just yet, Vin, it's still wet and you'll smudge it. When it's dry, I've got a nice frame that you can put it in to keep it safe."

Letting Ezra take the precious portrait, Vin swiped at his moist eyes and nodded. Watching the gambler carefully put the painting near the fire and weight the edges with some medium-sized stones, he tried to find the words to thank his brother but couldn't. How could you thank a man for giving you back a piece of your past? Maybe he could tell him about Nakoma and have him create a likeness of her too. Thinking of his sweetheart made an already tender heart ache even more, causing him to retreat into his blankets. The night was cold and he shivered violently from old heartaches and the present temperature.

Sitting by the fire, taking the first watch as was the custom, Ezra frowned at the shudder that shook Vin's slender frame. Getting up, he gathered his own bedroll and spread it over the younger man, tucking it in securely to hold in the heat. Resting his hand on Vin's head, he noted the fresh tear tracks and wondered what old hurt he was remembering now. Thinking that Vin wasn't ready to talk about it, he was about to return to the fire, when his hand was grasped. Settling back down, he waited patiently for Vin to speak, or just as comfort for the younger man. After ten minutes, Vin started to speak in a voice that was lower and more hoarse than usual.

"When I's living with the people, I's just coming into manhood. But the people paired up a bit earlier than white folk n' I had a powerful longing for Nakoma. She was the daughter of the medicine man's sister n' she was beautiful n' smart n' funny. We's friends fer years, going fishin' and huntin' even though she was supposed ta be helpin' the other women. She was feisty though and fought for her right ta hunt. Bit like young Casey. When we was seventeen or so, we's got ta be a mite more'n friends. Everyone was happy fer us and we's about as happy as two people can be when the Chief married us. Then one month she missed her courses and we knew she was in the family way. Ez, I don't need ta tell ya how scared and proud and happy I was. I thought I was gonna bust just from alla the feelings. Whenever I looked at her and she smiled back all soft and tender, I thought ma heart was gonna bust right out o' ma chest with all the love I had fer her and our baby. 'Course, when I found out she was expectin' I wouldn't let her come huntin' with us no more. She kicked up a bit of a fuss, but the other women took her in hand and laid down the law, telling her she had ta protect her unborn baby. One day, me n' a few o' the other bucks were out huntin' meat, which was scarce that time o' year. We's gone 'bout a week and when we came back…"

Ezra had sat down beside Vin with hand on the tracker's shoulder, listening silently to another piece of the younger man's traumatic past. Whilst the story had started well, he knew it wouldn't end happily, so he was ready when Vin stopped and sobbed harshly a couple of times before holding his breath.

His body rigid with the strain of containing his grief, Vin tried to find the words to continue. Rolling over, he put his head on Ezra's sturdy thigh and reached over to gather a handful of the hem of the gambler's winter coat, searching blindly for something to anchor him as the grief swept over him again. Never having someone he felt comfortable enough with to share his grief, this was the first time he'd allowed himself to grieve fully. he'd come close once or twice with Chris and Nettie, but the timing hadn't been right then. Sucking in a huge lungful of air, he went on.

"Army'd bin through. Killed 'em all. Old men, women, children and babies, all gone. Spread out and left ta rot like tha buffalo. Everything was broken or burned. Blood everywheres. We screamed out fer the ones we loved and searched fer 'em. I finally found my … my wife on the bank o' the stream. Someone had.. had…"

Pushing away from Ezra, Vin crawled away and retched. Bringing up supper, he kept heaving until there was nothing inside and then was hit with dry heaves.

Ezra had been expecting this violent reaction to the retelling of such a heinous act and was by Vin's side in an instant. Holding his brother, he crooned to him and rubbed his stomach gently, coaching him to sip in little bits of air and not gulp them.

Pushing away, Vin stumbled down to the water hole and scooped up some water, spitting it out on the grass. Repeating it, he then drank a few mouthfuls of water and tried to calm himself. Getting up, he returned to the fire, shivering constantly from remembered shock.

Having kicked dirt over the mess, Ezra gave the tracker some space, picking up one of the blankets and waiting by the fire. When Vin returned he wrapped the blanket around his trembling brother and then took him into his arms. Hooking his chin over Vin's shoulder, he rocked the younger man slightly and waited for him to relax a little. When the shaggy head came to rest on his shoulder, he started rubbing his hand up and down the tracker's shoulder and whispered, "I'm truly sorry, Vin."

Pressing against Ezra, Vin silently pleaded for his brother to hold him tighter, wanting the older man to take away the pain. Wrapping his arms around himself within the blanket, he tried to stop the memories of the sights, sounds and smells of that horrible day. Grinding his face into Ezra's shoulder, he tried to swallow the pain in his throat caused by unshed tears.

Knowing that Vin needed reassurance that he wasn't alone, Ezra stopped the soothing motion of his hand and locked both arms firmly around the shuddering body of the tracker. Squeezing him, the gambler turned his head and spoke firmly but quietly, saying, "Let it out, Vin. I've got you, brother."

Shifting to lay his cheek on the broad shoulder before him, Vin faced out and watched the darkness for a few minutes, his lungs heaving for breath. As the memory of his violated love filled his mind, he screamed in agony and anger, the sound stretching and increasing in pitch to become a thin keening cry. It only stopped when he ran out of oxygen and then he paused only to suck in a breath and begin again. The world narrowed down to include only his misery and the strong arms holding him together, even as his soul tried to break free.

Wincing at the assault to his ears as well as the raw agony in his brother, Ezra tightened his hold. There was no point in talking at this stage, Vin was beyond listening. Instead, he held on and waited for this first letting of grief to exhaust itself. The horses were growing agitated, but knowing that they were loyal beasts he didn't worry. Chaucer would never willing go far from where he was and Peso wouldn't stray far from his herd mate. Heart aching with his own pain as well as for the pain of Vin, Chris and Josiah, Ezra prayed to a god he no longer believed in that the others would never know this kind of pain.

Eventually, too exhausted to continue the heart-rending keen, Vin slumped against the gambler and drew in ragged breaths. Vaguely aware that he was being forced to walk, he followed blindly and allowed himself to be lowered to the ground. Sitting numb and raw, he felt his gun being taken from him, after he'd sipped from first the canteen and then Ezra's hip flask and then he was being leaned to rest against a solid chest, the fabric of Ezra's warm coat under his cheek. Closing his burning, stinging eyes, Vin huffed out a sigh and concentrated on the warmth emanated from the man holding him and the reassuring weight of the arms holding him. Ezra's hand smoothed back his hair before coming to rest on the side of his head. In a ragged whisper, all that was left of his abused voice, he cried plaintively, "Why? Why's everyone who loves me taken away? What'd I do sa wrong?"

Kissing the top of the shaggy head tucked under his chin, Ezra almost groaned at the pain that action caused him, remembering another dearly loved curl covered head that used to rest there. Mentally shaking himself, he breathed in deeply and replied, "Your parents were both taken when you were just a tiny child, Vin. Neither you nor they did anything to deserve their deaths. Your father died because of the wickedness of others not yourself. Your mother died from illness because she wasn't living close enough to a skilled healer like our Nathan. Unfortunately a common enough occurrence in our times, I'm afraid, even in the big cities. Even with medicines, doctors and healers, some illnesses are just untreatable. Your second family was taken from your by the wickedness and ignorance of others too. You did nothing wrong."

"Should have stayed with her... protected her..." muttered Vin disconsolately.

"As I should have stayed with mah Emmaline and our sweet chillun," replied Ezra, his voice and accent thickening, "As Chris should have stayed with Sarah and Adam."

Stiffening as the words filtered through his grief, Vin was about to leap to both his brothers defence when his quick mind grasped the connection. Relaxing back into his brother's arms, he rubbed his cheek on the soft woollen coat under it and sniffed. He'd worked one hand free of the blanket and was grasping Ezra's forearm, giving it a squeeze to show his understanding, if not his complete acceptance. Burrowing into the blanket and the chest under him, Vin released some of the pain he kept boxed up, knowing he was safe.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Chris was standing on the saloon porch waiting for Ezra and Vin to arrive, having received the telegram telling him when they expected to be home. As he watched, Buck sauntered up to join him, waving at JD who was sitting in the chair on the porch of the jail. Grinning when the boy waved back with his usual enthusiastic abandon, Buck sat in one of the chairs and chuckle. Leaning the chair back on the two back legs, he responded to the tall blond's quizzically raised eyebrow, a trait he'd picked up from the absent gambler, "I could hear you clucking from all the way up at Miss Annabelle's, old dog. They'll be home soon, no need to fret."

Rolling his hazel eyes at his oldest friend's teasing, Chris grumbled, "I won't believe that those two trouble magnets are in one piece until they're standing in front of me. I don't know why I let them go in the first place. Should have gone with them."

"They're grown men, Chris, and have looking after themselves since they were kids," started the rogue, tipping his hat in response to a lady friend's flirtatious wave from across the street.

"They shouldn't have had to look after themselves as kids and they don't have to know. That's what I'm here for… to watch over you lot of hooligans," growled Chris, turning away from the street to face Buck, hitching his hip up on the porch railing. "Hell, Ez has managed to piss Nathan off and rile folks without even being here. I want to get to him before Nate does, 'cos otherwise he'll be blindsided."

"Damn strange doings, that," mused Buck, stroking his moustache thoughtfully. "I don't for a minute think that Ez would do it, but the kid and Nate both seem dead certain."

"Fools should know Ezra better by now," spat Chris, scowling up towards the clinic and then turning his displeasure on JD, who remained oblivious with his nose in the latest penny dreadful.

"Wasn't that long ago and you'd have been baying for his blood too, pard. You and Nate have been his harshest judges since we've known him. Hell, you threatened to shoot him more times than I can count," commented Buck, watching Mary emerge from the Clarion office and stretch her back. Obviously the blonde had just finished printing the paper, an activity guaranteed to leave her with an aching back. He had hoped that Chris and the pretty widow would make a match, but having gotten to know the woman better he wasn't so sure that they were right for each other. The fact that she sent her son away to his grandparents and stayed to run the paper wasn't something that his old friend could understand. Sarah would never have been parted from Adam and Buck knew that all the women Chris met now were compared to Sarah and always found wanting. "Josiah doesn't believe it either and has asked to go back to his room in the church if Nathan can't be quiet about it. Since he's still too sick to be moved, Nathan's had to keep his comments to himself. I have to say it's strange for the kid to think the worst of ole Ez. He usually sees the best in all of us."

"Damn boy should have kept his nose out of other people's business. It wasn't any of his concern what was in that telegram. It was addressed to Ez and Albert should have known better than to give it to anyone but the addressee," stated the gunslinger, his scowl deepening. Suddenly he stiffened and focused on something in the distance, before slumping. Seeing Buck looking in the same direction, he said, "Ain't them."

"You know, I was just thinking that it's a nice day for a ride…" suggested Buck.

Grinning in a way that was rarely seen since the fire that burned that burned out most of Chris' soul, the gunslinger replied slowly, "Yup, and no-one's patrolled today so we'd be doing the town a service."

"Well, alright then. What are we waiting for? Let's get going," cheered the irrepressible man, standing up and striding towards the edge of the patio.

Ezra looked over at Vin, who'd tied Peso to the back of the wagon and sat shoulder to shoulder with Ezra on the bench of the wagon. Having cried himself to sleep on the gambler's chest the night before, they'd had a night disturbed by numerous nightmares. Finally, Ezra had started to sing to his brother in the hopes that it would take his mind to happier memories and therefore more pleasant dreams. It seemed to do the trick as they managed to get a few hours sleep before the dawn. Mutually deciding that they wanted to get home, they ate a hasty breakfast and then struck out for Four Corners.

Having felt Ezra's enquiring glances all morning, Vin leaned into the sturdy body of his brother and sighed. He was tired and heartsore. Before last night, he'd thought that he'd buried his painful memories so far down that they'd never bother him again. Despite how much it had hurt to tell Ezra what had happened to his end his time with the People and despite how bad he now felt with the memories hovering so close to the surface, he actually thought he'd feel better in the long run. Shutting down his emotions, making his heart unavailable, had seemed like the right idea but now he wasn't so sure. Since meeting the other six men, he'd slowly been coming back to life. Enjoying the bantering, the laughter and the comfort of the others, particularly Chris and Ez, made him wish he'd known them when he was a boy. But he had them now and he had no intention of losing them. If they went, he would go with them.

Leaning back into Vin to show his support without words since the tracker seemed to need the silence, Ezra turned his eyes forward. They were earlier than they'd anticipated, so he wasn't expecting to see anyone on the main street. Even so, he swung away from the main road into town and rolled the wagon around the back of town so he could park the wagon behind his new enterprise, away from prying eyes.

"Mr Standish! Mr Tanner! You're back," hailed Ted Jacobs, limping out from the back entrance to the building with a broad grin on his weathered face. The grin wasn't the most pleasant expression as the man had lost a good many teeth in his youth whilst breaking horses. Those he had left were not in the best of condition. But Ezra and Vin were used to it and no longer cringed at the sight.

Grinning back, Ezra called, "Mr Jacobs! How goes things on this fine morning?"

Vin just nodded and murmured, "Ted."

"Everything's done, Mr Standish. Just waiting on you to okay everything, but I've paid out the workers and sent them home. They all said to thank you for the work and to keep 'em in mind should you decide on doing anything like this again," said the older man, respectfully,

Facing a grim future, he thanked God every day for the two young men in front of him. Vin Tanner had told him to sleep in the room that they town paid for in the boarding house, since he slept in the wagon or under the stairs. Having mentioned to Inez that he felt a little guilty at taking the warm bed from the young man, who was probably freezing in this cold weather, he was told not to worry. In a whisper, Inez told him that Vin slept on a bedroll in Ezra's room when it was cold. Curiosity must have shown on his face as the pretty young saloon manager went on to say that the tracker felt safer with the gambler on guard 'cos of the bounty on his head. Nodding in understanding, Ted had gone back to his cheap beer fretting over the injustice of that nice young Texan boy being falsely accused of murder. All the town regulars knew of the bounty but none of them believed that Vin Tanner was capable of cold blooded murder.

They both made sure that he got at least one square meal a day and directed anyone with odd jobs his way. Then Mr Standish had come to him with this latest project and offered him a job managing the individual workers who were renovating the MacPhail place and the building next to it. He'd been sworn to secrecy, unable to speak of what was going on behind closed doors to anyone, not even the rest of the seven. That had been a test of loyalty, when he was braced by none other than Chris Larabee demanding to know what was going on. But he was a man of his word and refused to say anything.

"I've got to say, Mr Standish, I ain't ever had so many folk wanting to talk to me as I have since you hired me for this job. The rest of your friends have been round every day trying to get inside the building and Mrs Travis has been by twice a day. I'd say that you're gonna be real popular once it's opened," rambled the old man, lifting the cover on the wagon and starting to pull out some of the lighter stuff to carry inside. His broken up body wouldn't let him carry anything too heavy and he watched enviously as Vin hefted one of the heavier boxes with ease. Oh to be young and strong again!

"Vin, where do you think you're going with that?"

"In ter the damn house, Ez. Look, this here box is heavy and if ya don't want my help, I'm happy to leave it here…"

Pursing his lips, Ezra finally threw his hands up in defeat before making an elaborate 'after you' gesture. Hastily grabbing a box of his own, he followed the others.

A low whistle escaped the Texan and he nearly dropped his box. Carefully setting it on the floor, he turned to his southern brother and exclaimed, "Damn Ez, what the hell are you up to?"

"Big plans, Vin, big plans. All sanctioned by the esteemed Judge Orin Travis. This wagon load of things will complete everything. Hopefully there is a telegram or letter waiting for me to make everything perfect," chattered the gambler, setting his box on the table. "I didn't want anyone to know about it until I could show you all, but since Josiah is probably too ill to come down, I suppose I could show you now. You have to promise to act surprised when I show the others though. But first, let's unpack the wagon and get the horses taken care of before anyone notices that we're back."

Leaving Ted to unpack the boxes and put the contents in their relevant places, Vin and Ezra took the wagon and Peso over to the livery. Entering the cool dim interior, they saw Buck and Chris enter from the front.

"Where the hell did you come from!"

"Of all the sneaky coyotes…"

"Hey Cowboy. Buck."

Good afternoon, gentlemen."

All four spoke simultaneously, making Tiny chuckle as he come out of the tack room to gather the wagon horses that Ezra had hired from the gambler.

Taking the lead ropes from the southerner, Tiny grinned at two of his favourite customers and offered, "I'll take Floss and Bessy, Mr Standish. Do ya want me to get one of my boys to take Peso for you, Mr Tanner?"

"Iffun ya don't mind, Tiny. Reckon me and the boys got some business to sort out," drawled Vin, warily eyeing his two friends. Chris looked ready to throttle Ezra and Buck looked like he was readying himself to run interference. Wondering what his brother could have done when he wasn't even here, Vin shifted so that he stood slightly in front of the shorter man and lifted an enquiring eyebrow.

Seeing Vin take a defensive stance in front of the gambler made Buck's moustache twitch suspiciously before his covered his mouth and coughed. Chris merely assumed a slightly chagrined expression before taking his hat off and running his hand through his tousled hair.

"Dammit, Vin. Ain't no need for you to be like that. You know I'm not gonna hurt Ez," cried Chris, wondering just how much his surly attitude had affected those around him. "We just need to talk to him, 'cos there's been some trouble."

With an exasperated expression, Ezra gently shoved the tracker out of the way and walked forward to stand in front of the two taller men. Pulling at his cuffs, he asked, "What trouble and how am I involved?"

"Well, ya see, it started when Albert came to the saloon looking for ya. The kid was the only one there, minding the bar while sweet Inez was over at Mrs Potter's talking to her about a new coat or some such thing. JD offered to take the telegram and give it to ya when ya got back. Only he kinda saw some of it and then he got curious and read it. Well, he didn't like what he read and kinda shouted about it to me when I walked into the saloon, in that way of his … you know what he's like when he's excited … then Chris came in and wanted to know what JD was shouting' about. Then Nathan walked in to get some lunch and he heard what was on the telegram and then, well, it all went to hell from there," explained Buck, sounding suspiciously like JD.

Ezra was once again struck by the thought that Buck and JD really were twins separated at birth, just like Vin and Chris. The two pairs of men were incredibly similar in temperament. Swinging his gaze to the man in black, Ezra patiently waited for a more concise and clear explanation.

Taking a piece of paper from his pocket, Chris shoved it towards the gambler silently.

Reading it quickly, Ezra's face broke out into a truly dazzling smile, tooth glinting gold even in the shadows of the livery. Looking up, he saw the confusion on the faces of those around him and his quick mind tried to work out how this telegram could have upset everyone so much. Suddenly it dawned on him and he covered his mouth with his hand as his eyes widened.

"Ah gentlemen, I can see how this could look bad, but truly it is a good thing. At least I think so and Judge Travis agreed with me," offered Ezra. Sighing when he realised that he would have to explain everything, he motioned for the other three to follow him and then lead them through the back of the livery, along to the back of his new building. Nodding to Ted, who sat at a table in a big kitchen with a cup of coffee and that week's Clarion.

"I was recently made aware of my Uncle Hamish's passing and his generous bequeathment of his worldly goods. It was with these funds that I not only bought the Saloon outright, but this building and that of the barber's next door. As you can see this part of the building has been left the way the MacPhail's intended it, as a bakery kitchen. I've maintained contact with a woman I used to employ to help my darlin' Emmaline with the house and the chillun. Miss Adelia recently wrote to say that the family she currently works for will be moving back East and she will be out of work. I immediately though of her taking over this place. Miss Adelia's cinnamon rolls are a thing of beauty and could make the most hardened man swoon. Since she is no longer a slip of a girl, a business such as this will be perfect. She is an early bird like our Vin, so getting up to make her goods early, then closing the store just after lunch will suit her. Given the success of Mrs Travis, Gloria and Miss Tennant, I knew that this town would welcome another female proprietress."

By this time, the four men were standing in the front of the bakery, all nodding their understanding.

"I've had the upstairs, which was going to be one large combined living area for the MacPhails, split into two areas. The half above the bakery will be Miss Adelia's accommodation. She's assured me that she's still quite spry and able to get up and down the stairs."

Nodding again, Chris asked, "What are doing with the rest of the property and what about the telegram?"

Holding up a hand to ask for patience, Ezra motioned for them to follow him back out to the kitchen. Turning left in the narrow hall at the back, he lead them through to the back of the next area. Entering, they all stopped and gaped at what they saw.

Looking pleased with their reaction, Ezra walked over to the floor to ceiling shelves and lovingly ran a hand over the books there. Turning back to the stunned men, he explained, "Part of my inheritance from Uncle Hamish was his extensive library. I thought I should share my largesse with the town and open a public library. Anyone may come in and borrow a book for a week for free, provided they have a card and agree to take care of the book in question. Such places are becoming quite common in the larger cities."

Chris, who was an avid reader, was eagerly scanning the titles. Vin was also looking around in wonder, never having seen so many books in one place before. With his new reading skills, he was quietly pleased to see several titles that looked like subjects in which he'd be interested. Buck was less impressed, but could acknowledge the draw for others and the generosity of the southerner in sharing his books with the town.

Grabbing Chris' arm and dragging him along with the air of an excited child, Ezra pushed him through the door and into the front room.

"What the hell…"

Bouncing into the middle of the room, Ezra gestured at the rows on little desks and benches, the blackboard on the back wall and the larger desk and chair, shouting with glee, "It's a school!"

Stunned at the sign of civilisation, Chris sat on the desk chair, whilst Buck started wondering what the new school marm would look like and Vin was playing with the sand in the trench in front of the long benches. He'd never been in a school room before and was experiencing a slightly envious feeling.

"The town is growing and there are a number of children who would benefit from regular schooling, so I thought that we could hire someone to teach the children in the morning and then be a librarian in the afternoon. Judge Travis seemed pleased with the idea and has started recruiting for someone suitable. The area above will be their living quarters, obviously," expounded the gambler, almost dancing around the room, straightening pictures and books.

"I's surprised ya didn't offer to be the teacher, Ez," said Vin tentatively, unsure of how the southerner would react to the observation.

Freezing with his back to them, Ezra exhaled sharply. Slowly lowering his hand from where he had been straightening a framed print of the alphabet, his shoulders slumped as he whispered, "The good people of the town would object to someone such as myself being in charge of their impressionable offspring."

Feeling as thought they were missing something, Chris and Buck frowned at the two younger men.

Seeing their faces, Vin softly explained, "Ez has a teacher's certificate."

Straightening up, Ezra turned around with a false smile and said, "I thought I could escape my mother by turning my hand to teaching once. She viewed it as a waste of all her hard work, training and my own god given talents and ruined the position by spreading word of my previous deeds and true identity. I was politely but firmly asked to leave. It wasn't the first or last time, so it's of no importance."

"It damn well is important, Ez. How many times has that damned woman ruined your dreams? Why do you keep forgiving her?"

Warmed by the outrage on his behalf shown on all three faces, Ezra smiled at Chris and replied, "Mother is who she is, Chris. I don't think I will ever stop hoping that she will start acting like a loving parent, but I accept that the chances are slim. I have made sure that all of this has been done with air tight deeds and everything is paid for in full, so there will be no way for her to take it away from me. Besides, it's for the good of the town, so I don't think she'd escape from the tar and feathers of an outraged mob if she jeopardized it."

"So you could be the teacher," stated Chris firmly. He'd seen how good the gambler was with Vin, Billy and the Seminole children.

Shaking his head sadly, Ezra refuted, "No, I couldn't teach here in town. I have my duties as a peacekeeper to consider and I wouldn't give up gambling. I ride out to the Seminole village once a week and instruct anyone, child or adult, who wishes to learn their numbers and letters. That is enough for me."

"So was the telegram about the teaching position?"

Turning to Buck, Ezra grinned and replied cryptically, "In a manner of speaking."

Frowning in frustration, the men once again trailed after Ezra as he lead them out of the MacPhail building and around the back of the barbers. Walking in, they stood in stunned disbelief once again.

This was the first time that Ezra had seen the place since work had commenced and he was most pleased with the results. It was exactly as he'd envisaged. On each side of the room were two single hospital style beds, neatly made up with crisp sheets and warm blankets. A large bath tub hung on one side of the back door, on the other side was a long bench with two shelves above it. On the bench was several glasses and a large jug, obviously intended to hold water. Also, two water basin and jug sets. Beside each bed was a tall table with a shelf underneath it for a chamber pot. On the other side of each bed was a comfortably padded, sturdy chair.

Gesturing for the other to follow him, Ezra led them through to the next room. Gasps issued from the others as they saw a surgical style table. There was a tall table beside it with a tray filled with gleaming surgical tools. The sight of that made all four of them shudder. Hurrying through this room, they ended up in the front room. This was set up with a desk and chair in one corner, a bookshelf filled with medical books and a couple of comfortable visitors chairs in front of it. In the opposite corner was a high, padded bench. This room was pleasant and uncluttered, relaxing them all.

"I thought this could be the initial consultation room for people to seek advice. You see over in the corner that you can draw this curtain around the padded bench, so that a patient can be examined with some degree of privacy. For gunshot and knife wound and other such surgical procedures, you would use the room behind, then the recovery room is the last one," explained Ezra, inordinately pleased with the space. "The living quarters above have been refreshed and are ready for inhabitation."

Stepping front of the southerner, who was once again dancing around delightedly, Chris grabbed the scarlet clad shoulders and bent his knees slightly to look into the sparkling emerald eyes, demanding, "That's the point of contention, Ez. Just who will be inhabiting the upstairs."

"Doctor Charles Archibald Fletcher, one of the finest surgeons to grace the Earth and a personal friend of mine," announced the southerner proudly. He was dismayed by the looks of betrayal and anger on the faces of the other three.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

"Ez! How could ya do that to Nate? Just undercut him like that. Like he's nuthin' to ya. I… I defended you," cried Buck, as Chris glowered at the southerner and Vin looked shattered.

"But you don't understand. Let me explain. You see Archie was the doctor who saved my life when I was so grievously wounded in the late unpleasantness. I owe him everything. We've stayed in touch throughout the years and he's always been a staunch friend to me. When he wrote to me to tell me that he'd developed an incurable illness and only had a year or two to live, I knew that I had to help him. His current position as a lecturer at Harvard is very demanding and he doesn't really have the strength for his duties now, but will have even less reserves in a year. He cannot afford to live without working as he has never worked for the money, but rather for the joy of helping people, so he has no savings to pay for a sanatorium. Sadly, his wife has passed and they had no children," explained Ezra, pleading for their understanding. "I thought that he might like to retire from Harvard and spend his remaining years here."

"And that's all very admirable, Ezra. But what happens to Nathan when this doctor arrives? You know how much he loves being a healer here. What will he do when all his patients start going to your friend?"

"But you still aren't understanding. I haven't got to the really good bit yet," begged Ezra, reaching out to grip Chris' shirt in both fists to stop him from turning away. "You can become a doctor by being an apprentice to one. It usually takes three years, but Nathan already has so much knowledge and experience that I'm sure it could be whittled down to the time left to Archie. I thought that with Archie's teaching experience, he could assess Nathan's present knowledge and then begin to teach him what else he needs to know in order to become a qualified doctor. Then when Archie become too ill to practise medicine, Nathan could look after him and ease his passing. Don't you see? Don't you all see how perfect this opportunity is? How it's really Nathan's only chance to realise his dream?"

Pulling the emotional southerner to his chest, Chris hugged him tightly, too choked up to say anything. Vin and Buck had hurried to the gambler's side as his speech became more impassioned. Each of them put a hand on Ezra's shoulder, squeezing it in comfort.

"Aw, Ez. I'm sorry. Shoulda known ya'd have a damn good reason for bringing that doc here," said Buck gruffly, his voice affected by his pride in the southerner. He'd always known that a truly good man with a kind heart lurked under the flashy gambler façade.

Vin glowed with pride in his brother. Instead of spending his money on a showy gambling place in San Fransisco, he'd used it to better the lives of people who quite often looked down on him. Used his money to educate and heal folk and help his old friends to live out their lives feeling useful and wanted. Yes sir, no doubt about it, their Ezra was one in a million. Beaming with pride, his chest just about bursting, Vin slapped the shoulder he held and then threw his arms around both Chris and Ezra.

"Well hell, if you're all gonna hug, you're not leaving me out," cried Buck boisterously, throwing his long arms around the other three and squeezing mightily making them all squeak. Chris growled ominously, Vin whispered 'Ah Hell' and Ezra uttered a strangled 'Good lawd, Buck'.

Breaking up, they all coughed and looked everywhere but at each other as they hastily scrubbed at moist eyes with their sleeves.

"So y'all approve of what I've done?"

Chris turned back to look at Ezra who was looking at him with such naked hope in his emerald eyes that the gunslinger couldn't help but grin and say firmly, "Ya done good, Ez."

Ezra's smile was blinding.

Sobering as his thoughts went back to the healer, Chris told Ezra, "You'd best stay here for a while, Ez. I've got to get to Nathan and tell him to give you a chance to explain. He's hotter than a silver dollar in the summer sun at the moment, thinking you were out to replace him. JD's not much better, so Buck had better go and tell him what's happening. I know you'd probably rather show them everything, but they've got the wrong end of everything at the moment and won't be willing to listen."

Nodding sadly, Ezra murmured, "Yes, perhaps that is for the best. I really thought that I'd earned more trust from them than that though."

All three murmured agreement, ashamed of their own fleeting doubts. Then Vin suddenly said, "We got to see 'Siah too. Tell him 'bout Hannah."

"Hannah?"

As usual, the big man perked up at the mention of a woman.

Chagrined that he'd given away Josiah's secret, Vin looked beseechingly to Ezra for help out of the situation in which he'd landed himself.

Smiling gently, Ezra explained to Chris and Buck, then asked that they not say anything to anyone. Just as they'd made their promises, a knocking sounded on the door.

"Mr Larabee, sir? Are you still in there?"

"Yeah, Ted. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing for me, sir. But I thought you should know that Mrs Travis and Mr Jackson are both looking for you and young JD is looking for you Mr Wilmington," explained Ted, hat in hand.

"Mary doesn't know anything about any of this, does she?"

"No, I asked the Judge to keep my plans to himself. I was going to inform all of y'all first and then have Mrs Travis publish something the week before the new clinic, bakery, library and school opened. I'm still waiting for Archie, Miss Adelia and the new teacher to arrive, of course. Although, Archie should be here on next week's stage and I think Miss Adelia will arrive the week after that. I'm not sure where the Judge is at with the recruitment of a schoolmarm," explained Ezra. He couldn't really explain his reluctance to tell Mrs Travis about his enterprises. The blonde widow sometimes reminded him of his mother and because of that he found it hard to trust her.

"Hey, where are we gonna get our hair cut now," exclaimed Buck indignantly as the thought suddenly occurred to him.

Chuckling, Ezra replied, "Relax Bucklin, Albert hasn't left town. Mr Heideigger from the hotel offered him a job over there. There wasn't enough business for Albert on his own and he isn't always able to work with the rheumatism in his hands. So, for room and board, he's opening a small shop in the hotel cutting hotel guests' hair for free, but anyone else can get their hair cut for the usual fee."

"Well that's okay then. Shoot, thought I was gonna have to ride all the way to Eagle Bend, or grow my hair out like Junior here," teased Buck, ruffling Vin's long hair playfully.

"Less ya want ter lose them hands, yer'd best be keepin' 'em ta yerself, Bucklin," growled the tracker, ducking his head out of the way and slapping at the taller man's hands.

Buck's booming laughter was the only response as he slid a hand forward to tickle the younger man. Suddenly it was on for young and old as the two men began a wrestling war for dominance and tickling rights, whilst Ezra and Chris stood back smirking and trying to prevent damage to furnishings and friends alike.

Ten minutes later saw Chris striding determinedly towards the clinic and Buck striding just as firmly towards the jail, both intent on sorting out their doubting brothers.

Just as he was scaling the stairs to the clinic and thanking Ezra for providing them with new premises that were on ground level, the door burst open to the sound of Josiah's ragged coughing. Then the giant of a man was on the porch, growling in what was left of his once magnificent, rumbling voice, "I told you I wasn't staying if you continued to badmouth my boy, Nathan. I'm going back to the church and that's that!"

Chris scowled at the thought of Nathan's ongoing vendetta against Ezra. It seemed that no matter what the gambler did, what his friends said, or what the healer witnessed with his own eyes, Nathan was determined to think the worse of Ezra. Reaching the porch and snaking a strong arm around the trembling form of the preacher, the dark clad man suddenly smirked as he pictured Nathan's face when he found out the truth. Oh yeah, that would be worth seeing.

"Oh good, Chris, can you help me get this stubborn fool back into bed?"

Chris looked at Nathan, then looked at the older man clinging to him and wheezing and nodded once. Much as he would have liked to aid the preacher in his glorious exit, he doubted very much that Josiah would make it halfway down the steps without collapsing. If it had been Vin, he may have been willing still, but Josiah was a big, muscular man and weighed more than Chris could rightly carry. Heaving the almost deadweight of his older friend more securely onto his shoulder and hip, Chris hauled the protesting man back towards the rumpled bed. Once he was securely tucked back in, Chris leaned down and whispered something in Josiah's ear and smoothed the grey hair back from the sweaty forehead.

Josiah looked up into Chris' intense hazel eyes and grinned widely at the fierce protectiveness and humour that he saw there. Settling back, he turned to Nathan and announced, "I think I could do with some of Gloria's delicious broth, Nathan."

Grumbling about stubborn men who wouldn't know what was right if it danced naked in front of them, Nathan left for Mrs Potter's. Chris followed close behind, almost stepping on the tall man's heels. Once they were at the bottom of the stairs, he yanked Nate around and slammed him none too gently into the side of the livery.

"Hey now…"

"No! I talk. You listen. You've been a sanctimonious jackass towards Ez long enough, Jackson. I know I've been just as bad, but that man has more than earned our friendship, loyalty and respect. I will not tolerate you bad mouthing him all over town any more and neither will any of the others. Vin's already told you to shut your mouth and open your mind, but seems you just aren't willing to learn. So I'm telling you the same. You've got Ez all wrong, in general and in regards to that damn telegram that the kid had no business reading, let alone shouting to the rafters about. When Ez explains what it's all about, you just shut your mouth and let him get on with it, ya hear me, Nate?"

Mouth dropping open in shock before he snapped it shut, the lips thinning in anger, Nathan nodded tightly.

Standing back and allowing the healer to collect himself, Chris glared at the clearly unrepentant man and growled in disgust, "Ah, ta hell with it. Get back up to the damn clinic. I'm going to collect the others and we'll see you up there shortly. I warn you now, you'd better be prepared to eat a lot of crow."

Frowning at the departing blond, Nathan wondered if he had misjudged the southerner. Everyone else seemed to think Ezra deserved the benefit of the doubt. Most of the time, he and the gambler were able to put aside their differences, even going so far as to call each other friend. But sometimes, he just wanted to punch the smug smirk off the man's face. Rubbing his hand over his head roughly and wincing when he encountered the small lump at the back where he'd hit it on the wall of the liver, Nathan sighed and headed back up the stairs. When Chris Larabee issued an order in the tone of voice he'd just used, it was only a fool or a dead man who ignored it.

Sitting beside his old friend on the bed, Nathan sighed again and whispered, "Why do I always think the worst of that man?"

''Cos he expects you to," rasped Josiah, his eyes still closed as he lay comfortably warm and drowsy on the bed.

"Yeah," agreed the healer sadly. According to Vin, Ezra did expect Nathan to hate and belittle him as so many others had because of his southern accent and the colour of his skin. It came as a rude shock to Nathan every time it was brought to his attention that he was guilty of the same bigotry of which he himself was often a victim.

At the jail, Buck had entered to find JD still reading his book. Stalking over, the tall cowboy snatched the book, threw it into a drawer and slammed the drawer shut. Grabbing the boy's silly hat off the desk, he crammed it on the dark shiny hair and then yanked JD up by the collar, dragging him out the door towards the MacPhail place.

"Dammit Buck, just what do you think you're doing? Ya got no right to be draggin' me around! Let me go!"

No matter how hard the kid struggled, he had no choice but to follow the taller, stronger, older man. Finally turning down the alley beside the barber's, which was now closed, he continued to protest until he was bodily thrown into the back of the MacPhail building. Staggering to straighten up and not fall to his knees, he noticed Ezra and Vin staring at him with a mixture of shock, wariness and amusement. Pulling his suit jacket straight huffily, he turned to Vin and said, "Hey Vin, good to see you back."

A fleeting look of sadness passed over Ezra's face at the obvious slight, before he murmured quietly, "Not happy to see me too, JD?"

"You? You're … I just… I never… Can't… Dammit, how could ya do it?"

Before anyone could say anything further, Chris stomped in the back door and glared so hard at JD that the boy backed up until he hit Buck. Looking back, he was surprised to see the hostile look on the moustached face that always looked kindly on him before. Getting the feeling that he was missing something very important, he kept quiet.

"We're going up to the clinic and sort this mess out once and for all before I shoot someone," snarled Chris, still riled at the healer and now unimpressed to hear JD's accusation and witness Ezra's hurt. Expecting obedience, he spun on this heel and took off with the sound of his duster slapping around his calves and his spurs jingling.

Snorting with amusement, Vin stood up and slapped the gambler on the shoulder, drawling, "C'mon Ez, don't want ta keep 'em waitin'."

Standing and smartly snapping his cuffs down, Ezra walked out regally, displaying none of the inner turmoil that he was feeling. Buck and Vin exchanged a sad glance and followed him out, making sure that the door was locked behind them and that JD was firmly pushed in front of them.

Settling in spots around the clinic, everyone took a deep breath. Nathan had immediately stood and gone to stand in a spot near his shelves of herbs, his back to the room as he tried to gather his composure. Josiah had opened his eyes and warmly greeting Vin and Ezra, who returned his greeting and went to sit on the bed on either side of the big man. Buck pushed JD in with him and they stood over by the window, whilst Chris slammed the door shut and leaned against it, scowling at Nathan's back.

Josiah clasped the gambler's hand and asked eagerly, "How was Hannah? Was she upset that I didn't come? Is she in good spirits and health?"

Waiting whilst the coughing fit prompted by the eager questioning ran it's course, rubbing the preacher's damp back gently, Ezra quirked an eyebrow at Vin who patted a pocket and nodded. When silence descended again, the gambler said, "Hannah was in good health, 'Siah. In fact, she sent something back for you."

Everyone watched as the tracker pulled a roll of paper from his pocket, carefully unrolling it and smoothing it out over the older man's lap.

Sucking in a breath of wonder, Josiah ran his long calloused fingers over the precious painting. Looking up at Ezra and then Vin, he asked, "Hannah painted this?"

"Yes."

Relating everything that had happened on their trip, Vin and Ezra watched as tears of joy and thankfulness rained down Josiah's face. Finally, the preacher sat up and threw his arms around his boys and squeezed them tightly, choking out, "Thank you. It's nowhere near enough but thank you."

Hugging the man back awkwardly, Vin and Ezra tried to discretely wriggle into a position where they could breathe and not have their ribs cracked. Buck was wiping tears from his face too and grinning like a loon. Nathan and JD kept their eyes on the floor.

After being released from the bear hug, Ezra and Vin fussed about making sure that his pillows were fluffed and he was completely covered. Then, with a long look at Vin for strength, Ezra stood up and fixed a stern look on JD.

"John Daniel Dunne! Look at me!"

The ringing authority was back in Ezra's voice, forcing JD's head to snap up and his eyes to focus on the disappointed emerald eyes of the gambler.

"I'm sure that you've been taught better manners than to read the private messages of others, Mr Dunne. I'm equally certain that you were taught that it was unacceptable behaviour to spread unsubstantiated rumours, or information of which you are not in complete possession. Or am I wrong in assuming that your mother raised you with morals and integrity?"

Flushing red, JD's eyes welled as he realised how badly he had acted.

Nathan thought that Ezra was trying to redirect the attention from his own poor behaviour by singling out JD, so started to interrupt, "Don't go …"

A single low growl that issued from five individual throats made the words stick in his throat, halting his diatribe.

"Futhermore, your rude and inconsiderate actions caused considerable distress to Nathan, who then spread the misery to Buck, Chris and poor Josiah by setting off one of his self-righteous, self-pitying tantrums, didn't it?"

Nodding miserably, JD felt tears start to sting his eyes as his throat tightened.

"And all of this upset and anger for something that isn't even true."

Ezra found himself pinned by the eyes of both Nathan and JD, whilst Josiah just smiled and closed his eyes in vindication. He'd known that his boy would never have treated Nathan in such a callous manner.

"Ya mean ya ain't got some hot shot doctor coming to take over from me?"

"I have invited a very dear friend to come to this dusty little burg to spend the remainder of his years, yes. Said friend is indeed a highly skilled and experienced doctor, yes. HOWEVER! I intend for him to take you as an apprentice, so that you may eventually earn your own medical degree and become a fully qualified doctor," explained Ezra, making sure to maintain eye contact with the healer.

Stunned, Nathan staggered back until his back hit the wall and he slid down to sit cross legged on the floor. He must have been mistaken. Surely he hadn't heard the gambler saying that his friend was willing to take him on as an apprentice. There were no black doctors. Looking up with huge, luminous eyes that begged his friend not to be lying or conning him, Nathan repeated, "A doctor?"

"Yes, Nathan. A doctor. Most apprenticeships are for three years, but given your experience and current knowledge, I suspect that the time could be reduced significantly," assured Ezra.

The others looked on as one of the most beautiful smiles they'd ever seen spread across Nathan's face, even as tears ran down his cheeks.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Everyone was focussed on the healer except JD, who was trying to contain the tears threatening to overflow from his stinging eyes. Prickling all over from red hot shame, he kept his eyes on the floor as the full impact of his actions hit him. Not only had he maligned the name of a good man, he'd violated the privacy of a man he called his friend and spread falsehoods about him, causing others to become upset and cast blame on his friend. Sniffing, JD decided he needed to be somewhere else as he felt unable to face the other men and ran for the door, pushing Chris out of his way.

"Leave 'im be, Bucklin. Kid needs some time ta sort his self out," growled Vin, unhappy with JD's actions and the hurt they'd caused Ezra. Being truthful with himself, he also blamed JD for his own momentary lapse of faith in his brother.

"Aw Vin, ya know the boy didn't mean any harm," demurred Buck, casting big eyes towards the cranky sharpshooter, appealing on behalf of the youngest. "He's just young. He'll learn."

"Buck, JD's only a coupla years younger'n me n' Ez. Ain't got nuthin' ta do with age and everythin' ta do with respect. He knew damn well that he didn't have the right ta read Ez's telegram and he sure as hell didn't have the right ta go spoutin' off 'bout it," refuted Vin adamantly. "As fer learnin', how's he supposed ta learn anythin' when ya always hovering over him like a momma bear and her cub?"

"Now c'mon Vin, I ain't that bad. 'Sides, it's not like you don't have your own momma bears. Seems to me that JD's got me and you've got Ez and Chris. You've always been fair to JD when he's made mistakes in the past. Ya ain't gonna stay mad at the kid, are ya? You know he about idolizes you," defended Buck, ending with a wheedling plea.

"Ez and Chris don't hover over me! I don't need watching over. I's out on ma own since I's a button and had ta learn the hard way, with no-one there ta hold ma hand or stop me from making a fool o' maself. One o' tha most important lessons I learned is that a man's business is his own. Time JD learned it too," snarled Vin, angry at the affable man for pointing out his close relationship to the older men. He was frightened of highlighting it, in case it disappeared when Chris or Ezra decided he was too needy or too much of burden and pushed him away. "As fer the kid looking up ter me.. he shouldn't. I's jist a man like any other. Put ma pants on one leg atta time. He can do better'n me iffun he's looking fer a hero."

The others had stood back, watching the two of them argue but Ezra and Chris weren't about to let Vin start down that self-deprecating path.

"Vin, you are a good man with a kind heart and JD is right to use you as an example of how a man should be. Uh uh, I know you're not perfect but not one of us can claim to be perfect. It's about acknowledging your failings and how you try to overcome the ones you can and work around those you can't," counselled Ezra, walking over to stand beside the quietly seething Texan. Putting his hand on one tense shoulder, he gave it a gentle squeeze and said quietly, "It's alright, Vin. Chris and I like that you look on us as older brothers. Nothing anyone says or does will make us turn our backs on you. You're stuck with us, I'm afraid. Isn't that correct, Chris?"

Chris walked over and gripped Vin's free shoulder, waiting until Vin looked up with apprehensive blue eyes before staring directly at him and stating, "Ez is right. You're a Tanner! You're Michael and Carys Tanner's son and as such you got nothing to be ashamed of! Me and Ez are damn proud to call you brother. Got it? Or am I gonna have to cut a switch to take to your scrawny ass?"

Huffing out a laugh, Vin swallowed hard and nodded his acceptance. Feelings too big to be put into words welled up in him and he reached out a hand to lock forearms with Chris instead. Leaning back against the southerner, he fought to regain his composure.

"See, Vin. You've got Ez and Chris, like JD's got me. Now I'm gonna go lookin' for the boy and hope I can talk some sense into that hard head of his," announced Buck, striding to the door with suspiciously moist eyes.

After a final squeeze, Ezra released Vin's shoulder and made his way over to where Nathan remained sitting on the floor with his knees held to his chest and his back to the wall. Gracefully sinking down to sit cross-legged beside the healer, Ezra hesitantly cleared his throat and placed a slender hand on the bowed back.

Rolling his head to the side, without lifting it off his arms, Nathan gazed at Ezra with reddened watering eyes. Blinking, he asked softly, almost afraid of the answer, "Really, Ez? Your doctor friend will take me as an apprentice? I can be a real doctor? With a diploma?"

Starting to rub slow circles over the rough spun shirt, knowing the scars it hid, Ezra smiled gently and nodded.

"He know I'm black?"

Quelling the laugh that wanted to surface, Ezra nodded solemnly and replied, "Nathan, Archie's an Englishman and has worked with many people of many colours and both genders over the years. Since being in America, he's worked with Indian medicine men, he's worked with Chinese herbalists, he's worked with negroes… hell, he's worked with an uppity southern dandy with more attitude than sense. Before he landed on these shores, he'd worked in India, England, Europe and Africa. He even met Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War and was most impressed with her work and her efforts on behalf of the injured. He was a much younger man then and just starting out in medicine."

Pausing to gather his thoughts back from some of the stories of his travels and the wars that Archie would relate to him, late in the quiet night when Ezra had thought that he'd go mad from the pain of his head wound. The comfort he'd gotten from having that kindly, interesting old man sit by his bedside had been astonishing and one of the major reasons that he'd recovered. Looking around to see that Chris was sitting in the visitor's chair and Vin was once again sitting beside Josiah on the bed, he gave them a small grin before continuing.

"Black, white, yellow, brown, red, man or woman… Archie doesn't care what colour or gender folk are, all he sees is their medical skills, compassion, and kindness. He sees the insides of people, both metaphorically and literally. As he says, we all bleed red. I've told him all about you and what you've done here in my letters and he's very eager to meet you – all of my friends - and take you on as an apprentice. He has consumption and whilst he's still in the early stages, he won't be here for a long time. The drier climate here will help slow the disease and he's very keen to use what time is left to him to pass on his knowledge."

"But will the authorities issue a diploma to me? Ain't no black doctors, Ez."

"Nathan, it's not like we have to send a photographic likeness of you and you will not be required to pick up the diploma in person. They will never know anything more than your name, which does not betray your colour. For now, just enjoy being in the company of a highly talented, skilled and experienced doctor and soak up his knowledge. Archie will test your present knowledge and skills and arrange for you to receive credit for those, thus shortening your apprenticeship. I assure you that my old friend is a most genial companion and you will find yourself a doctor before you know it," soothed Ezra, continuing to rub Nathan's back, pleased with how the man relaxed under his touch.

"Will he be teaching me here? Ez, this place ain't suitable for a proper doctor! I can't have him coming in here," panicked Nathan, looking around his humble clinic with freshly critical eyes, seeing the rickety visitor's chair, the bed with its sagging mattress, the scrubbed wooden table that he used for treating folk on, the gaps in the floorboards that allowed the scent of horses and manure to waft in – particularly in the heat of summer.

"Calm down, Nathan. I have an alternative, which I will happily show you as long as someone is willing to stay with Josiah," placated the gambler, itching to show Nathan the new clinic and witness his reaction.

"I believe that I should like to see this alternative," rumbled Josiah, flinging the covers back and sitting on the edge of the bed. Taking a moment, he lifted his undershirt out and took a whiff before grimacing. "Then I would like to take a bath as I'm getting right fragrant."

Nathan started to protest, but Ezra stopped him with a wicked grin and a glint in his eye, saying, "That sounds like an excellent idea. Vin and Chris will help you dress, whilst Nathan and I gather the necessary items for your treatment. Then we will all adjourn and reassemble at the alternative site of . Buck, Vin and Chris have already had a tour of my new enterprise, but if 'Siah's feeling up to it, I'd like to show ya'll too."

Suiting actions to words, it wasn't long before the five men stood at the back of the old barber's shop. Josiah was leaning heavily on Vin and Chris, so the tour of the other premises had been hurried. Both Nathan and the ex-preacher had been most impressed with the bakery, library and school. Nathan had all but salivated upon learning that Miss Adelia had learned her skills at the knee of her mother whilst they were both enslaved. He had known many fine cooks started in master's kitchens and when Ezra described the cinnamon rolls, he had to swallow hurriedly. Lord, it was going to be a long two weeks. It would also be nice to have someone of his own colour and background to talk to on occasion. The others all treated him as a person in his right, as did most of the town, but it was different to having someone with shared experiences around. Josiah's interest had been peaked by the library and he eagerly anticipated many long hours of happy reading from the books he'd seen.

"Are we ready? All right. In we go," cheered Ezra, ushering them all into the recovery ward as he called it. Waiting eagerly for Nathan's reaction, he wasn't disappointed.

Nathan's jaw dropped and he stood stunned for all of a minute. Then he was off examining every fine detail of his new clinic. Sure, he knew it would really be Doctor Fletcher's clinic for a while, but eventually it would be his. Noting the new comfortable chairs, he was glad that he wouldn't have to listen to so many complaints about hard, rickety chairs from those who sat waiting on the ill and injured. Running a hand over the firm mattresses on each long single bed, he saw the crisp sturdy linens and felt the canvas cover on the mattress that would protect them from any stray fluids. Going to the back wall, he opened cupboards and tapped the bathtub, thinking how handy it would be to have his own tub for when his patients took a fever, or just couldn't go far enough to the bathhouse. Chuckling, he figured Ezra would have thought of that since he was the cleanest man he'd ever met. Looking back at Ezra, he stood at the door to the next room with his hand on the knob and a question on his face.

Smiling indulgently like a fond father, Ezra waved for the healer to precede them. Josiah hurried after him when he heard the whoop of pure joy from Nathan echo back in to him.

"Look at this! Look at it! A proper surgical table! No more digging bullets out o' y'all on my old table that none o' ya fit on anyways. Lookit the surgical tools, 'Siah! All clean, new and gleaming. My old scalpel blade is 'most down to the handle," exclaimed the healer, picking up every tool reverently before placing it back on the tray as though it were made of spun sugar. Looking up, he exclaimed, "Will you look at the reflective lamps up there! Won't have to worry 'bout missing anything in the dark now."

Chuckling, Ezra leaned on the door frame and watched his friend explore his new domain, right down to opening the side door and exclaiming at how easy it would be to bring the injured in from the alley at the side of the building. Not even a step, there was a ramp. Finally, he suggested mildly, "There is one more room, Nathan."

Turning to Ezra with a beaming grin that threatened to split his face, Nathan chirped, "Another room?"

Crossing quickly to the door, Nathan wrenched it open eagerly and strode into the next room. Releasing a piercing whistle, he cried, "A proper consultant's room with an examining table, just like in the big hospital I saw once. And books! I ain't seen these. This one's not long been published. Should have all the latest discoveries. Can I borrow this?"

"Nathan, all of this is yours so you may read it whenever you like. There are living accommodations above, but Archie will be living there for now. I thought that we could revamp your current clinic and make it into more comfortable living quarters for you. Or you could perhaps share with Archie as there are two bedroom on the upper floor, but I'll leave that to you both. Archie can cope with the small set of stairs to this upper floor, but there's no way he would be able to traverse the stairs to your current quarters. You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind? Ez, you've gone and given me my dream. I don't care if I have to sleep in a stall with my horse for the next couple of years. I'm gonna be a doctor!"

With that, Nathan swooped Ezra up into a damn good impersonation of a Buck hug and proceeded to dance the smaller man around the new consulting room whilst the other laughed and whistled.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find it hard to write JD. Apologies to those who love him, but I find the character annoying. Now, on with the show.

"Nathan. Nathan! Please! Put me down. I fear if you continue this embrace, we may have to marry!"

Laughing joyfully, Nathan released his friend and stood back to survey his domain with the air of man well satisfied with life. Once he was a proper doctor and had moved into the accommodation upstairs, which knowing Ezra was very comfortable, he could ask Rain for her hand. Any children they had wouldn't have far to go to school, in any case. Suddenly he sobered as a thought struck him and turned back to the younger man. Looking into the happy emerald eyes, he said earnestly, "Ez, I can't tell you how sorry I am about what I said and thought about you when I heard about that telegram. After all this time and what we've been through, I should have known you better than to think you'd betray me like that. Can you forgive me?"

His happiness dimming a little at the reminder of Nathan's ongoing struggle to have faith in him, Ezra gave the healer a small smile and replied, "All is forgiven, Nathan. What's a misunderstanding between friends? Now, I think we should try out the new recovery ward and install Josiah as the first patient, don't you?"

"Lord, 'Siah! In all my excitement, I forgot you was sick. Why didn't y'all say something? Come with me," scolded the healer, hurrying over to where Josiah was sitting on the desk and leaning against Chris wearily.

"I want a bath, Nathan. I can make it to the bath house," protested the big man as he was hauled to his feet by Nathan who ducked under his arm and started to help him towards the back room.

"Ya ain't goin' to the bath house; it's too damn cold n' your lungs are too weak. I got me a perfectly good tub out the back, so you just sit in one of them comfy new chairs and I'll heat up some water for ya," soothed Nathan, amused at how excited he was to try out his new clinic.

"Wood box 's full," drawled Vin, moving with Ezra to take down the tub. "Where do you want the tub?"

Seeing that Nathan was busy marvelling at the pump that brought water in from the well out the back, Ezra answered, "Just set it down by the stove, so 'Siah won't catch a chill. Not as far to haul the water either."

Setting a large, low sided galvanised bucket of water on the stovetop, Nathan exclaimed happily, "Lookit the size of the stove! I can heat a load of water on here, hell I could cook a meal for ten on here."

"It is also large enough to heat the entire room," agreed Ezra proudly, looking around the room. "The surgery should be cold, of course, but there's a smaller wood burner in the consultation room to keep it at a decent temperature in the cold months."

After filling the tub, the men helped Josiah to undress and get into the bath. Whilst he was soaking, Ezra washed his hair and then shaved him, all the while chattering about how he'd ordered all the goods and had local men come in and do the work. Once Josiah had been dried off and dressed in a clean nightshirt, he was tucked into the bed closest to the stove.

With a contented sigh, the ex-preacher grinned up at Ezra as the smaller man fussed about the covers. Unable to help himself, he dragged his boy down on the bed and engulfed him in an enormous hug, murmuring, "I'm so proud of you, son. This is a mighty fine thing you've done for Nathan, the town and all of us."

Embarrassed but pleased, Ezra returned the hug unable to form the words for what he was feeling. Finally, he patted Josiah on the back and pulled away. Clearing his throat, he said, "I couldn't have done it without my Uncle Hamish. Without his influence, I may very well have turned out to be just like Maude and without his generous legacy I would never have had the funds to do anything on this scale. I'm just pleased that his good deeds will continue even after his passing. Uncle Hamish was such a kind man, always helping others…"

Josiah pulled Ezra back into his chest as the southerner choked up at the thought of his uncle. Laying a large hand on the back of the gambler's neck, he used the other to rub his boy's back soothingly.

Vin leaned against Chris' arm, causing the gunslinger to glance down at the younger man. Surprised to see tear tracks on the tanned cheeks, Chris put his arm around the tracker in a half hug of support earning him a lopsided smile of gratitude, even as Vin swiped tears from his now blushing cheeks. Knowing his emotions were still raw from his talk with the gambler the night before, Vin decided to empty the tub as a means of distracting himself.

After the tub had been hauled out the back by Chris and Vin, who emptied the water in the plot that Ezra had designated the herb garden, it was brought back in for Nathan to dry, polish and hang back on the wall.

By this time, Josiah had drunk his tea and fallen asleep, with Nathan sitting gleefully in the chair next to him reading on of his new medical texts. Ezra seemed to have vanished.

"Where's Ez?"

Looking up from his book with great reluctance, Nathan looked at the tracker and told him, "Livery."

Touching his hat brim in both thanks and farewell, Vin turned to Chris and tilted his head towards the door. Nodding, the black clad man followed his younger brother out.

Meanwhile, Buck had gone looking for JD and had been everywhere. The jail, the saloon, the restaurant, the livery, the boy's room at the boarding house, hell even the church, but he'd been unable to find him. Finally, he went back to the livery to check that JD hadn't doubled back and taken his horse. Finding Barclay in his stall, Buck stopped and stroked the inquisitive horse's velvety muzzle and wondered where else his young friend could be. Four Corners wasn't that big and he'd checked all the likely places.

It was still, cool and quiet in the large building, the only sounds coming from the shifting of the horses. A faint noise attracted his attention and he turned to watch a beam of light catch the dust sifting from the hayloft, turning it to a sparkling gold shower. Acting on a hunch, he clambered up the ladder and was greeting by the sight of JD huddled into a ball of misery amongst the hay bales.

"Awww JD," whispered Buck, his big heart lurching at the forlorn sight in front of him.

Having heard someone climbing the ladder, JD hurriedly swiped the evidence of his crying from his face with a sleeve. Knowing that it would still be obvious, he pulled his legs to his chest and hid his hot face on his knees. Hearing Buck's whisper, he couldn't help a sobbed out breath and then he was engulfed in the warm embrace of the man he thought of as his older brother. Turning into the broad chest, he buried his face in Buck's rough coat and wrapped his arms around the narrow waist.

They sat like that for a long moment before a muffled voice whispered, "What am I gonna do, Buck?"

Keeping JD tight to his chest and laying back against a hay bale, Buck gently patted the younger man on the back and replied with a smile, "What do ya think ya should do?"

Turning his head with a huff, JD sniffed noisily making Buck grimace as he imagined the state of his coat. Finally, JD said hesitantly, "Guess I have to apologise to everyone for making such a godawful mess of things. Again. Seems like I'm always doing or saying something stupid and making people mad at me. I don't know what made me read that telegram or why I thought Ez would do something so mean. I've always been too curious for my own good. Mam… Mama always said that if I were a cat I'd have lost my tail and burned my whiskers before I was two. I was always getting in trouble for exploring places I wasn't supposed to be in the big house where Mama worked and trying to find out how things worked by pulling 'em apart. I was always in trouble at school for talking too much, or asking too many questions, or not paying attention. Mama said it was 'cos school was too easy for me and I got bored. I don't know about that, but I do know that I spent a lot of time in the corner trying hard not to cry. All the other kids used to laugh at me and push me around 'cos I was the smallest and didn't have new clothes and things. They thought I was nosy and talked too much. Never used to let me play with them 'cos I was too small and not fast enough."

Buck's big heart ached at the image of a little scrap of a boy in patched britches, with big hazel eyes brimming with tears and a mop of dark hair, sitting in the corner of a schoolroom in disgrace or all alone in the schoolyard watching the others play and wanting to play with them. Gathering the man that boy became into his arms more firmly, wishing he could have been around for him when he was a little boy, Buck did the only thing he could now; he sat and listened to his friend.

Clutching Buck's coat tighter as the big man shifted under him, JD shuffled with him until they both settled. Normally he'd object to being treated like a baby, but he was too distracted by his shame and memories to care. Laying his head back on Buck's shoulder, he sighed and went on, "I just got to learn to keep my big mouth shut. I had no right to read Ez's telegram and even if I'd seen it by accident I had no business telling anyone else. Vin and Chris are always saying that a man's business is his own out here. Hell, look at what Chris did to you when you told Mary 'bout his family. You'd think I'd have learned, but no. I got to go blabbing to everyone about that telegram. And what I was saying wasn't even the truth. Buck, do you think Ez will forgive me? After Mama died and I came here, Ez was the first one to accept me, ya know? I mean, sure, Chris was the one who said I could stay but Ez was the only one to shake my hand. He's never treated me like some dumb kid either. Always tries to answer my questions without making me feel stupid for askin' and listens to me talk without telling me to shut up all the time. Well, unless I'm trying to tell him a joke, and even then he seems to find a way to just .. I don't know… float away. I don't know how he does that, do you Buck? One minute he's there and the next minute he's gone. Like Vin. Both of 'em can just sort of disappear in plain sight, ya know what I mean?"

Chuckling, Buck stroked JD's hair and replied, "Breathe, kid. Ya gotta breathe. Damn, how do you fit so many words into a conversation without breathin'."

"I am breathin'! I'd be dead if I weren't breathin', Buck," objected JD, thumping Buck lightly on the chest in protest.

Barking out a short laugh, the older man shook his head fondly. Trying to sort through the kid's fast paced ramblings, he said, "Ah JD, ain't nothin' wrong with you, kid. You and me are cut from the same cloth. We say it like it is and don't have any secrets, so it don't occur to us that other folk'd have 'em either. The others though, they play things closer to the vest, keeping their thoughts and their pasts to themselves. Reckon it's partly 'cos they're ashamed of some things, partly 'cos things in their past have been used against 'em but mostly 'cos they's raised that way. Most folks tell their kids not to air the family laundry in public. I guess I can understand. I mean, I don't go shouting to the rafters about my Ma, not 'cos I'm ashamed of her but 'cos other folk have treated me mean in the past once they knew."

Pausing, the big man thought sadly on instances in the past where people he'd thought of as friends had turned their backs on him once they found out he was the son of a soiled dove. Chris had been the first one to just shrug and say it didn't matter to him. When the blond commented that Buck's mother must have been a strong woman to do what she did so she could raise her son right, Buck had known he would follow the lanky Hoosier to the ends of the world. Sure, he and Chris had had some rocky times, but Buck just held on to the knowledge that Chris Larabee was a man to ride the river with and he'd always been proved right.

When JD started plucking fretfully at his coat collar, Buck brought himself back to the present and cleared his throat. Getting back to the crux of the matter, he said in an even voice, "Yeah, ya shouldn't have read Ez's telegram, but then Albert shouldn't have given it to ya in the first place. He took an oath to keep messages private, so he should only deliver them to the addressee."

Lulled by the safety and warmth of Buck's embrace, JD didn't hear Ezra's ascent to the loft. Buck looked over and grinned as the southerner's face appeared, waggling his eyebrows in response to Ezra's questioningly raised eyebrow.

Having entered the livery intending to check on Chaucer, Ezra had stopped at the sound of voices from the hayloft. Cautiously moving forward, the gambler tilted his head, listening for a clue as to whether the voices were lovers enjoying a secret tryst, or some outlaws plotting nefarious deeds. Recognising JD's voice, he crept closer, listening shamelessly. Finally, he decided to confront the boy and his guilt directly, so gracefully climbed the ladder. Seeing Buck cradling the younger man, Ezra lifted an eyebrow in query as to whether he should interrupt. Receiving what Vin called Buck's 'possum eating shit' grin and a waggle of the eyebrows, he rolled his eyes and joined the two.

Sinking down into a cross legged position next to Buck and facing JD, Ezra looked at the younger man's tear streaked faced and sighed. Reaching forward, he squeezed the boy's shoulder and called his name softly. When the red-rimmed, teary eyes opened and gazed at him with a mixture of shame, guilt and despair, Ezra couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips.

"JD, you will never read another person's correspondence again, will you?"

Receiving a solemn head shake, Ezra sighed again and said sternly, "Use your words, son. Now, you will never read another person's correspondence again, will you?"

"No, sir," replied the younger man, in a soft voice.

"Good. And should you find yourself in possession of knowledge concerning others that has no effect on your own person, you will not spread that knowledge to all and sundry, will you?"

"No, sir," mumbled JD, his shame making it impossible to meet those sharp, green eyes, certain they'd be filled with scorn and disgust. "I'm real sorry."

"Look at me," commanded the southerner, throwing an exasperated look at Buck who was going red from trying not to laugh at the repentant sinner lying against his chest. "When a gentleman apologises, he does so whilst looking the wronged person in the eyes. Do me the courtesy of offering your apology as though you mean it, young man."

When JD raised his big, hazel eyes to look at the older man, he saw forgiveness and a little amusement in his eyes, not scorn or hate. Sitting up a bit straighter, he wiped his nose on his sleeve and looked Ezra straight in the eyes and said, "I'm real sorry for believing that you'd do what I thought you did, Ezra. I'm sorry I read your telegram and I'm even more sorry that I told folk what I read and what I thought. I'm more sorry than I can tell you and I hope that someday you can forgive me and that we can be friends again."

Cringing when the boy used his sleeve to wipe his nose, Ezra fished one of his linen handkerchiefs from his pocket. When JD had finished his rambling apology, Ezra nodded and replied, "I accept your apology, JD, and forgive you for what you did. We never stopped being friends, so that is not an issue. I trust that you have learned your lesson and will practise more prudence in future. Now take this and mop yourself up properly. I expect that you will be getting hungry, so I will see you and Buck over at the restaurant later."

Accepting the hankie, JD smiled thankfully at the gambler and slumped back against Buck in relief.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Bracing his feet on either side of the ladder, Ezra slid down at a much faster rate than he could climbing rung by rung and landed lightly at the bottom. Spinning around jauntily, he fell back against the ladder awkwardly after bumping into the formidable form of Chris Larabee.

"Nice descent, Ez. Only person I've seen come down a ladder like that was an old sailor I knew during the war…"

Standing up and brushing down his sleeves, Ezra carefully plucked a minute speck of straw off his jacket before giving an obtuse answer to the gunslinger's oblique question, "It's a handy skill to have when on a sea faring vessel. Rungs tend to be slippery and there is often a need for haste in getting below decks."

Vin's mouth dropped down as he gasped, "You's been ta sea, Ez?"

"Briefly, Vin, very briefly. It wasn't an experience I'd care to repeat either, since the ship I was on met an abrupt and watery end," replied the southerner, reaching forward to push Vin's stubbly chin up thus closing his gaping mouth. Putting an arm around each man, he started herding them towards the livery door announcing, "I'm positively faint with hunger, gentlemen. Shall we adjourn to the restaurant to see what toothsome comestibles await our delectation?"

Vin and Chris exchanged a look of shared dismay over the gambler's head. Given the sudden reappearance of Ezra's more complicated verbiage, they judged that the gambler's experience at sea had been horrific. Chris smirked as he saw the look of resolve cross the Texan's face. Poor ole Ez was in for an interrogation, that was for sure. The older man knew that the quiet tracker had a well hidden, yet insatiable, thirst for knowledge and stories. Before they'd become a close knit family, Chris had often seen Ezra entertaining the children of the town with fables and fairytales, with the tracker silently absorbing the stories from the shadows. Now though, the tracker sat at Ezra's feet along with the children, usually with one of the little ones in his lap, his blue eyes as wide and beguiled as the children's. Sometimes, Ezra even managed to get the shy man to tell stories of his own - of Indian legend and lore. At these times, Ezra sat down amongst the children, usually claimed as a seat by little Fanny Wiltshire, his green eyes gleaming with pride at his brother's story telling abilities. Chris chuckled as he realised just how many of the town's adults ended up hiding in the shadows to listen to Ezra and Vin's story times. Wild horses couldn't make him tell Vin though, as the shy tracker would shut up tighter than a clam if he knew. As for telling Ezra… he'd probably charge the adults admission.

***M7***

A few days had passed since Vin and Ezra had returned from visiting Hannah and all the men had now seen the new buildings. Vin and Chris had trailed around behind their brother as he'd eagerly shown the buildings off to the Judge and Mary Travis. When Mary had seen the school, she'd squealed excitedly and thrown her arms around first Ezra, then the Judge and then Chris. Chris wasn't sure why he'd been included in her celebrations, but he enjoyed the embrace nonetheless. Vin made sure to sidle behind Ezra to avoid the exuberant mother's affections, blushing fiercely at the thought of having the usually austere Mary Travis hanging off his neck.

Mary's subsequent edition of the paper had included a glowing account of the generosity of the southerner, a brief obituary of the man behind the bequeath and an editorial extolling the civilising benefits of having a town library, school, bakery and doctor's surgery. She made sure to mention the training of Nathan Jackson, so people would know that he was to succeed Doctor Fletcher. There was an advertisement for the bakery and a short article on the library which explained the rules and processes of membership. Also mentioned was the fact that a photographer had been hired to attend the grand opening and would be available for a week thereafter to anyone who wanted to have their portrait taken for a reasonable fee. Ezra had made the arrangement and mentioned to Mary that she would be able to use the photos in her paper. He hoped to convince his fellow peacekeepers to pose for a portrait too.

Ezra was becoming more and more excited at the thought of his friends' arrivals and Christmas, having received many telegrams, letters and parcels on the daily stage coaches from Eagle Bend. The rest of the seven had developed the happy past time of badgering the gambler about what was in the correspondence and packages, much to the green eyed man's equal amusement and agitation. Wagging a cautionary finger at them, he'd ward them off with threats of coal in their stockings, even resorting to smacking the audacious hands of Buck, Vin and JD on occasion.

The weather had taken on a positively arctic chill, but they all gathered on the porch of the hotel to await the stage's arrival. Today was the day that the new teacher was due to arrive, along with Ezra's friend Doctor Fletcher. Vin, Chris and Josiah all cast sneaky looks towards the outwardly calm cardshark, trying to gage his mood. Judging by the way his cards were flying between his hands, their brother was nowhere near as calm as he'd have them believe.

"Here it comes!"

Head snapping up at JD's shout, Ezra smoothly returned the cards to his pocket and stood up, tugging his jacket into place and flicking at imaginary specks of dust.

"Ya look good, Ez, but he ain't gonna care 'bout that," soothed Vin, coming up to stand beside his brother and putting a calming arm around the soberly blue clad shoulders.

Glancing over to Vin gratefully, Ezra nodded and tried to wait patiently. He'd noticed that he wasn't the only one of the seven to take special interest in his attire and appearance that day. Nathan was wearing his best pants and shirt and had bought a new jacket. Well, it was a second hand jacket, but there was plenty of wear left in it and it was new for him. The healer wanted to look as professional as possible in order to make a good impression on Doctor Fletcher, despite being assured by Ezra that the doctor wouldn't notice if he was naked unless he had a rash or injury.

Buck had been aflutter since they'd heard from the judge about the new teacher's arrival. He'd taken pains to bathe and dowse himself in his cologne, making sure to wear his best clothes. Smoothing down his moustache, he drew himself up to his full height and threw out his chest in order to appear at his most manly and impressive, fixing a bewitching grin onto his face. Watching from the front of the saloon, Inez rolled her eyes and tutted at the display from the man who swore his devotion to her at least ten times a day.

Starting to move towards the door of the stage as it rolled to a stop in front of the hotel, the seven men each froze at the sound of a southern woman's dulcet tones, calling, "Be sure and take care of mah luggage. It's genuine French leather."

"No. NoNoNO!"

Turning to look at Ezra, Vin and Chris were horrified to see their brother shaking from head to foot and white as a sheet, looking wildly towards the stage. Hurrying to his side, they each took an arm and started reassuring him in whispers as they guided him hurriedly into the shadows of an alley.

Josiah had hastened his step towards the stage once he'd heard the voice that continued to thrill his foolish heart, despite what his head knew of the woman behind it. Sweeping open the door, he offered his arm to the conwoman who was waiting, saying, "Why, Ms Maude, what a distinct pleasure to see you again."

"Thank you, Josiah. I had thought I'd seen my darlin' boy waitin' on me, but I must have been mistaken," purred Maude, clasping the strong arm of the ex-preacher. "It's most kind of you to see me into the hotel. The journey was just terrible and I really must freshen up before I look towards procuring myself a refreshin' libation. I just know that the new owners have allowed my improvements to degrade, but I'm hopeful they will still have my suite available."

"I'm sure they will, Ms Maude," agreed the smitten man, guiding his vision of loveliness towards the building in question, oblivious to his heart son's distress just a few feet away.

The next one out of the stage was a young lady dressed in plain travelling clothes, her hair pulled back in a severe bun and her wire rimmed spectacles slightly askew on her nose. Anxious hazel eyes scanned the crowd waiting, looking for the elderly gentlemen who'd hired her. Instead, she found a tall, handsome cowboy holding a large, warm hand out to her in offer of helping her from the stage.

Blushing slightly, Annie MacGregor took the hand of the devilishly good-looking man and stepped lightly from the stage, praying she wouldn't trip on her skirts. Unused to the attentions of men, let alone men who were as fine looking as this tall man was, she stammered, "Th-thank you, s-sir."

Buck was many things, but he wasn't one to discriminate when it came to the fairer sex. Tall, short, fat, thin, old, young, plain or beautiful, Buck thought all women were gifts from the maker and therefore deserving of his attention. Winking at the woman, he was surprised to see that she was younger than he'd first thought. The severe style of her hair, which didn't suit her face at all, seemed to age her at least a decade. Said face was currently covered with a faint layer of travel grime and dust, causing the complexion to appear grey and drawn.

"Ah, Mr Wilmington, I see you've met our new school teacher, Miss Annie MacGregor," announced the Judge, coming to stand beside them with young Billy's hand in his own. Mary stood on Billy's other side, curiously looking at the newcomer to her town.

By this time, Ezra had regained his self control and pulled his poker face back into place. Smiling reassuringly at Chris and Vin, he walked quickly and gracefully over to where the Judge was introducing the new teacher to Mary and where JD and Nathan were struggling to pile Maude's luggage up on the porch of the hotel.

Just as Ezra approached, an extremely tall and extremely thin man unfolded himself from the inside of the stage. Standing with his hands over his head, he stretched upwards before holding his hands to his lower back and bending it to a chorus of pops and clicks. Dragging in a lungful of the cold air, he promptly doubled over with a coughing fit, hastily pulling a large handkerchief from his pocket to cover his mouth.

"Archie!" Ezra hurried to his friend's side and slide an arm around the older man, rubbing his back soothingly and encouraging him to breathe in sips of air.

Standing up after the fit abated, Doctor Charles Archibald Fletcher breathed carefully for a few minutes whilst he tucked his hankie away and then turned to his young prodigy. Taking off his glove, he reached out and grabbed one of the gambler's hands with a firm grip. "Ezra! My boy! How are you? Excellent to see you again. Have you kept up your skills? Where is this young healer you've been telling me about? Is there somewhere to get a decent Scotch in this town? Your saloon, perhaps? Met an interesting woman on the stage who had the most extraordinary poker skills – almost as good as yours – but I managed to keep hold of my gold fillings… just."

Laughing, Ezra returned the man's hearty handshake, replying warmly, "Archie, I'm well. You know from my letters that I no longer practise the skills you knew in me, unless forced to do so by dire circumstances. Yes, the saloon has been well stocked with Laphroaig. That was no woman, sir, that was my dear sainted mother. And as for Nathan, he's right here."

Reaching back to drawer the healer closer to him, Ezra announced proudly, "Archie, this is Mr Nathan Jackson, one of the finest healers, men and friends that I have ever had the good fortune to come across. Nathan, this is mah very good friend, Doctor Charles Archibald Fletcher – a better doctor, teacher and man you will never meet."

Releasing Ezra's hand, Archie grabbed one of Nathan's strong hands in his own and smiled at the nervous younger man. "Nathan, I have heard nothing but high praise from that young southern devil regarding you and his good graces are nigh impossible to enter so you must be absolutely astounding. I look forward to many a lively conversation and to helping you realise your dream. The world needs more doctors, particularly in this part of the world where everyone is so bloody eager to perforate someone else."

Reeling a little bit from the blustery manner of the new doctor, Nathan smiled shyly and offered, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Fletcher. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to being your apprentice and I want to thank you for the opportunity."

Nodding his head, Archie replied, "Say no more about it, Mr Jackson. I love to hand on my knowledge to eager students and from what Ezra has said, you may just be the brightest and best student of my career. Now then, all this travel and talk has made me as dry as the Sahara, so why don't we head for my boy's saloon, eh?"

"What about your bags, sir," called the stage driver.

"You go with Nathan, Archie, whilst I organise someone to take your bags to your new home. I'll be along shortly," urged Ezra. Taking Nathan's arm, he whispered, "Make sure you ask Inez for a bottle of my special stock and share it around."

Gesturing to the teenaged boys that he'd hired for the morning just for this purpose, Ezra got them to gather up the bags and trunks of both the newcomers. He then lead them all over to the back entrance of the MacPhail building, unlocking the door and ushering them in. Once there, he quickly sorted out pieces of luggage and directed the boys to take the worn trunk and shabby carpet bags belonging to Miss MacGregor up to the teacher's lodgings.

Meanwhile, Buck was still charming the new school teacher. Tucking her slender, gloved hand through the crook of his arm and taking her travelling bag from her, Buck gallantly lead the way towards the new school. Pointing out places of interest along the way, such as the bathhouse, saloon, Mrs Potter's general store and the church, he was soon ushering the still blushing woman into the back of the school house.

"Here you are, Miss Annie, safe and sound. Looks like ole Ez's already had your things brought up, so I'll leave you to freshen up," announced Buck, bending over the flustered woman's hand to press his lips lightly to the back of it before sweeping back down the steps.

Ignoring the boys' cussing at the awkwardness of carrying a large trunk and several smaller bags, Ezra opened up the door to the school teacher's quarters and ordered, "Put the luggage there inside the door and then go down to collect the rest and take it up to the back of the old barber's store, please."

Turning to see that the new teacher was standing at the door, Ezra smiled charmingly and gestured for her to enter.

"Forgive me my intrusion, Miss MacGregor. Ezra P. Standish, at your service. As you can see, there is a sitting room here along with a small but functional kitchen just through there. In the doorway to the front of us, you'll find your bedroom. I have arranged for a hod of wood to be delivered to the back door there on a regular basis to use in the stove in the kitchen, which should provide warmth to most of your living quarters. There is no heating in the bedroom, but the good ladies of the town have provided a number of excellently made and very warm quilts. Indeed, if you have a talent for needlework, you may be interested in joining their quilting circle. I believe you have met Mrs Travis. Whilst she is not a member of the circle herself, I'm sure that she would be more than happy to provide you with an introduction to the delightful Mrs Potter, who is an active member. Now then, there is fresh drinking water in the covered jug on the kitchen bench and a variety of staple comestibles in the cupboards. Also, there is water simmering on the stove should you care to use it freshen up, or perhaps make some tea. If there is anything further you require, I am your landlord and can usually be found in the saloon. Please feel free to send a message to me, if you are uncomfortable entering such an establishment."

Taking a deep breath, Annie nodded and held her hand out to the handsome, green-eyed man. Good lord, were all the men in this town so pretty? Her friend, Adelaide has mocked her for taking his post, claiming that the men of the West were uncouth and ugly brutes. Adelaide had warned her that she would remain a spinster forever if she left the comforts of the city. A slight smile warmed Annie's face as she imagined the look on her friend's face at seeing the man in front of her.

"Thank you, Mr Standish. I'm sure that I will be more than happy with the accommodations," she replied, blushing a little as Ezra's warm hand held hers.

Letting go of Annie's hand, Ezra took the spare set of keys from his pocket and handed them over, saying, "These keys are to your own quarters, the main back door and also to the school room and library below us. This town is patrolled by seven men and is mostly safe for a woman on her own, but I would advise you not to venture out unaccompanied at night and to ensure that the doors are locked securely. We do still have some issues with men of low character wanted to take what is not theirs. The quarters next to you will be taken in the next week or so by my very good friend, Miss Adelia Bailey, so it will not be so lonesome. Now, I will leave you to settle in. I'm sure that the Judge or myself will be by in the morning to show you through the library and schoolroom and to explain your duties. Are your bags fine where they are, or would you like help to move the trunk into your room?"

Just the thought of having the charming southerner enter her bedroom was enough to flush Annie's cheeks a vivid scarlet, so she hurriedly answered, "No, they're fine just where they are, Mr Standish. I thank you for your help and welcome."

Smiling and tipping his hat, Ezra left and hurried down the stairs and over to the barber's where his hired help were currently lounging on the top of the steps waiting on payment. Unlocking the door and ordering the many bags and trunks to be taken inside and placed in various spots, Ezra then paid off the boys and stood in the middle of the comfortable sitting room. A fleeting thought of his mother temporarily wiped the satisfied smile from his face before he remembered the words Chris had whispered to him in the alley.

"You ain't facing her alone this time, Ez. Me and Vin won't be taken in by her charming lies and neither will the Judge. She can't take this away from you and she can't hurt you if you don't let her."

Filling his lungs with a deep, cleansing breath, Ezra nodded firmly to himself. Gone were the days when he kowtowed to his mother, begging for her approval. He had a life here, with men he loved and respected who returned the sentiment. He would be thrice damned if he let Maude ruin it.

With that decision made, he locked the door and headed over to join his brothers in his saloon.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Walking into the saloon – HIS saloon – Ezra felt a sense of proprietal pride swell in his chest. The changes made had been subtle and scarcely noticed by the regulars, but each night after closing, Ezra had had the fittings gradually switched out so the lamps all burned that bit brighter, all the mirrors and windows had been polished, tables and chairs with wonky legs or chipped surfaces had been replaced by sturdier models, the glasses had all been checked with the chipped ones being replaced and the excessively watered down stock had been emptied out and replaced with more moderately watered down stock. Undiluted, the rotgut was too strong for steady consumption and had a tendency to inspire bar fights of riotous proportions. Looking around at the full tables of happy patrons, he felt his saloon was slowly taking on a degree of class.

Smiling and nodding at some of the regulars, Ezra wove his way gracefully through the tables to the bar, exchanging a few pleasantries with Inez regarding the night's take and their supplies. Afterwards, he turned and leaned his back against the bar, surveying his domain contentedly. Business was booming with the return of the appropriately priced, moderately watered alcohol and he would soon be seeing about having a piano installed and hiring someone to play it. Nothing too rowdy, just some quiet and pleasant melodies played in the background. If he could find a barmaid who could hold a tune, he may even consider hiring them on a slightly higher wage to provide some tasteful songs for an hour or two a night. Making a note to ask Buck if he knew anyone, he looked over at their regular table.

Seeing that all his friends were waving at him to join them, Ezra beamed and made his way to their table, seating himself in the chair left vacant between Archie and Vin. Noting that Josiah was missing, he assumed the ex-preacher was on duty at the jail or counselling some poor, lost soul at the church. Accepting a drink from Chris with a grin so wide his tooth sparkled, he settled back to enjoy the evening.

"Ezra, my boy! What excellent companions you've found in this dusty little piece of the world. And such a diverse group, as well. They all mirror your descriptions perfectly and it wasn't difficult to match each to a name. Young Nathan here and I are getting on famously and have already decided to start our assessment of his current skills first thing in the morning. The sooner we start his studies the better and I don't think I've ever known a student with such a thirst for knowledge. But there now, where have you been all this time? Catching up with mother?"

Laughing merrily at Archie's non stop chatter, Ezra placed a hand on the wiry forearm of the doctor and said warmly, "Archie, how I've missed you. I'm so pleased to hear that you and Nathan are making plans already. But have you discussed your lodgings? I had thought that Nathan could perhaps take the second bedroom in the lodgings above the surgery. It makes sense for him to be available for midnight call outs etc. However, if you were to decide that you needed your own quarters, then I might suggest that a temporary stay is in order. If he is to continue his habitation of the rooms above the livery, I would like to have them renovated somewhat. What do you say, Archie? Nathan? This affects you as well, what is your opinion?"

Buck, Vin, Chris and JD were all avidly observing Ezra with his friend. The first three were thrilled to see the openess and joy in the gambler's usually stoic face and JD was amazed that he'd finally met someone who could fit more into a breath than he could. Although he was a bit miffed when no-one interrupted Doc Fletcher to tell him to breathe. Maybe they figured the Doc should know better.

Doctor Fletcher assumed a thoughtful look, weighing the two options carefully before replying, "Of course, I'd be delighted to have Nathan join me in the living quarters above the surgery, but I'm not sure it would be wise to have anyone confined with me given my illness. Perhaps, in the long term, it might be best to have Nathan in his own abode after its restoration. What do you think, my good man?"

Nodding slowly, Nathan said, "Could be right at that, Doctor. Iffun it was the summer months and we could throw the windows open to get some fresh air in, might be different. But in the cold months, it gets awful closed in and stuffy. I think it's best iffun I go stay with 'Siah whilst you do whatever it is ya think has to be done to my rooms, Ez. 'Sides, folk are used to coming up the stairs to me in an emergency and might be a while 'fore everyone gets in the habit of going to the clinic. Makes sense to have someone in both places for a while."

"I can certainly see the sense in that," agreed Ezra amiably, "But I'll get you a room at the boarding house for a week or so, rather than have you cram yourself in that little room with Josiah. I'm sure the men I hired to overhaul the MacPhail place will be more than happy to carry out the repairs needed on your rooms above the livery. I don't intend to have much done. Just have the flooring and walls seen to so that there's no more gales blowing through them, perhaps move the wall to create two more even sized rooms and put a window in the bedroom. That should allow for a nice sitting room with your current stove in it and a bigger room to house a decent bed. Neither of the beds that are there now are salvageable, I'm afraid. If you could move yourself and anything personal that you do not want thrown away to the boarding house in the morning, I'll have the men come in tomorrow afternoon."

JD slurped his milk, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and asked, "What are ya gonna do with all your jars of healing plants and stuff, Nate?"

Archie perked up with interest at hearing that Nathan had a home grown apothecary, querying eagerly, "You have a collection of homeopathic medicines?"

Nathan blushed and looked down at the table as he answered the Doctor, "Yeah. Most of my knowledge came from the healers on the plantation. We couldn't get real medicines, so we relied on herbs, plants and such. I know they ain't as effective as modern medicines…"

"Balderdash! What do you think most modern medicines are made from, man," roared the Doctor, before hastily fishing out his handerkerchief and coughing into it violently. Waving off the concern of both Ezra and Nathan, who sat on either side of him, Archie continued in a calmer fashion, "Your herb collection and such must make their way over to the surgery. I'm sure that Ezra has made provisions for them, since he is just as much a devotee of the natural medicines. Although, from what I've read in his letters, he used to make his potions with a lot more honey and syrup than you do, Nathan. Lord knows, the obstinant young devil wouldn't let me anywhere near him with opiates as soon as he was aware enough to realise what I'd been giving him. Used to get Etienne and his wife to make up their pain killing potion on the sly for him instead."

"Ain't changed much, sir. Still hates laudenum like the devil himself and refuses to take it, no matter how much pain he's in," grumbled Nathan, still sore after the last battle he'd waged with the stubborn southerner over the painkilling drug.

"Well, everyone has their reasons for their fears, Nathan. As a doctor, you will need to not just heal the body, but the mind. I've seen men with identical injuries come into my wards and one will sicken and die, whilst the other fights and survives. They receive the same treatments by the same nurses and doctors, so you tell me what the difference is? What makes one person survive where another doesn't? I'll tell you what. Attitude. It's all in the attitude. It up to you as the physician to foster a positive attitude in your patients," lectured Archie, suddenly stifling a yawn before tossing back the remnants of his drink. "Well, Ezra. Time for this old man to find his bed. Will you do me the kindness of showing me to my new quarters?"

"Of course, Archie, how thoughtless of me. You must be exhausted by your journey and looking forward to settling in," flustered Ezra, mortified at his lapse in manners.

Vin, Chris and Buck all raised an eyebrow in amusement at the normally unflappable southerner being so caught out. JD just guzzled what was left of his milk and announced, "I'll walk out with ya, since I've got to patrol."

His internal radar quivering, Ezra speared JD with a look as he was helping Archie into his outer coat and demanded, "If you're patrolling, where's Josiah?"

All five of his friends suddenly looked very shifty and anywhere but at the southerner.

Rolling his eyes in despair, Ezra drawled, "Good lawwwd, he's with mah mother, isn't he?"

"Afraid so, Ez," confirmed Chris, seeing that none of the others were going to answer the gambler.

"Gird your loins, gentlemen. Once she's sucked every last one of mah doin's out of Josiah, she'll be over here looking for me and there will be no stopping her," warned Ezra, "I shall return once I've shown Archie to his new abode. Try to avoid looking her directly in eye in case she turns you to stone."

"Aw Ez, ya can't talk like that about your Ma," protested JD, whilst the other man laughed heartily, despite Vin and Buck not understanding the mythical reference.

Replying as they separated at the door, Ezra said wryly, "If I can't, then who can?"

Leading his friend up to his new quarters, Ezra unlocked the door and entered the living room. Walking unerringly through the dark to the lantern on the table, he lit it from a match plucked from his vest pocket. Turning up the wick, he motioned Archie inside.

"I'll show you the downstairs in the morning, but here is your new living quarters. These are the keys to your door, the external door and the surgery doors. I've arranged for a copy of our town newspaper, The Clarion, to be delivered to you as I know you enjoy reading the local news. I've left a copy of the paper that had a write up of the new surgery etc on the table here for your perusal. There's a small kitchen through there that has been stocked with the standard comestibles for you, along with one or two bottles of Laphroig. The decanter there on the sideboard has the same nectar in it, as I know you enjoy a tipple before retiring. There is clean water in the jug in the bedroom for your ablutions, along with some simmering on the stove. I have arranged for some of the local boys to maintain a steady supply of wood to both yourself and the two ladies to be found next door. There is an outhouse out back for this premise. The one further along is for the ladies' use," prattled Ezra, flitting around the room, dusting things off and straightening the painting he'd done for the wall – unsigned, of course.

"I'm sure everything will be perfect, son," soothed Archie, moving to place a hand on the nervous southerner's shoulder. "Just having a place to live out my days, where I feel useful and needed is more than I could have hoped for from anyone. Nathan and I shall get along famously as I can already see his thirst for knowledge and his love of medicine. Of course, I shall also look forward to seeing you more often now I'm here. I've missed our long discussions over a chess set."

"As have I," murmured Ezra. Looking up with liquid eyes, he stated, "Whatever I can do for you, I will, Archie. Without you, I'd have died in that damned hospital or lost what was left of my mind. I can never thank you enough for your kindness and friendship, then and since."

"Piffle. You owe me nothing. I did what was needed and I'm your friend through choice," declared the Englishman, squeezing both of Ezra's shoulders. "Now off you go and join your friends. I'll be fine here. I'll have a quick sort around and then crawl into my bed. Does that pretty little bargirl serve breakfasts?"

"The others generally break their fasts at the restaurant in the morning. Just follow your nose or the sound of Buck's voice and you'll find it. I tend not to leave my warm bed until later in the day, so I shall arrange to have Nathan show you through the downstairs. Perhaps we could meet for lunch at the Saloon?"

"Done! Sleep well, my boy," agreed Archie, giving Ezra a one armed squeeze and they walked to the door.

"Be sure to always lock your doors, Archie. We still have some unscrupulous characters coming through town," warned the southerner from the doorstep.

"Right you are, son," cheered the Doctor, closing the door and turning the key firmly as he chuckled at Ezra's overprotectiveness. Anyone would think that he was a child instead of a man well into his sixties, the way the southerner was fussing.

"Goodnight, Archie," murmured the gambler with a smile, skipping down the steps and locking the outer door after himself. Whistling a jaunty tune, he made his way back to the brightly lit saloons and the genial company of his brothers.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

"I can't wait for the opening day of the new premises in town," remarked Mary Travis excitedly to her friend Gloria Potter, as they both leaned against the counter of Potter's General Store. "Everyone is coming for it and there's a dance organised for afterwards."

"It's a fine thing that our Mr Standish has done for the town. I always knew he was a better man than he likes people to think he is," agreed Gloria, placidly folding up swathes of fabric as they chatted. "And to think that there's to be a genuine photographer in town. I've ordered a new suit for Josh and I've made a pretty new dress for Beth, so I can get a picture of them to send back East to my in-laws."

Nodding, Mary idly picked up a swatch of cloth to fold as she replied, "Billy's suit still fits, but only just. I will be having my photograph taken with him and Orrin. Hopefully, Evie will be able to make it as well. It will be the first family photo since Steven took us to see the photographer over in Ridge City, when Billy was only two. It will seem strange to be in a family sitting without Steven. But then life must move on for the living, as hard as that is."

"I know exactly what you mean, Mary. Robert took us for a family portrait around the same time and I'm so thankful that he did. We have no other photographs of him, so that makes it all the more precious now that he's gone. Speaking of moving on, I've been meaning to ask you…" trailing off, Gloria flushed and turned to put her stack of folded fabric on a shelf.

"Ask me what, Gloria?"

"Well. It's just that Robert hasn't been gone all that long and I know I shouldn't be even thinking about it, but well," said Gloria, struggling to bring herself to ask the question that was keeping her awake at night. Finally, taking a deep breath and bracing herself, she asked, "I was thinking of putting away my mourning black and possibly taking up Mr Sanchez's invitation to the dance."

Mary smiled brightly, happy that her friend was even contemplating trying to re-enter society, and replied, "I think that's a wonderful idea. As you know, I stopped wearing mourning black a while ago."

"Has Mr Larabee asked you to the dance," asked Gloria slyly, knowing that her friend was attracted to the black clad man.

"No and I don't think he will be asking me," answer Mary, pink tinging her pale cheeks. Despite her initial attraction to the dangerous man and her son's fondness for the man, she'd reluctantly decided that there was no point in pursuing him. They really weren't well suited as his constant criticism of her work with the paper indicated. Steven had supported her views and encouraged her writing. How she missed her husband!

"Ah, well, never mind. There's no rules to say that you can't still go unattached and dance with whomever asks you," consoled the kindly shopkeeper. Biting her lip, she said, "I'm going to wear my blue dress and go to the dance with or without Mr Sanchez. I did notice that he was very quick to escort that… that… well, I can't think of a bad enough word for her but Mrs Standish to her hotel last night."

Just as Mary was about to reply, the door opened to admit the new school marm. Hurrying over, Mary greeting Annie and brought her over to where Gloria had straightened behind the counter.

"Gloria, I'd like you meet the new school teacher that Orrin hired for Ezra's new school and library. Miss MacGregor, this is Mrs Gloria Potter. Gloria, meet Miss Anne MacGregor recently of Boston, I believe."

"Yes, Boston. Mrs Potter, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Mr Standish mentioned your quilting circle last night and I believe I have you all to thank for my warm bed last night," replied Annie, holding her hand out to shake that of the plump woman in front of her. Noting the widow's weeds, she gathered that the woman was in mourning.

"You're more than welcome, both to the town and for the blankets. Do you have an interest in sewing? We're always on the lookout for new members. We tend to make the quilts to give to folk who are new to the area, or as wedding gifts, or to sell here at the store. If we sell them, we use the money to buy more supplies. It also gives the local women an opportunity to meet up and socialise, which can be difficult for those who live on the outlying ranches. Even the women who don't sew tend to turn up, just for the company," explained Gloria, noting that Annie was wearing what looked to be a home made dress and casting an expert eye over the stitching.

"I'm a terrible hand at sewing, but I still attend the meetings to get the news," agreed Mary, wanting to make it clear that Anne would be able to come whether she could sew or not. "Some of the women are wonderful bakers and bring along some cake, pie or cookies to have with our coffee. I'm afraid I'm not a baker either, so I contribute the coffee."

Gloria laughed at the slightly shame-faced admission from Mary, having been the unfortunate taster of one of her friend's baking attempts. Despite receiving lessons and recipes, Mary was just not a natural born baker and had forsaken the whole process.

Smiling hesitantly, Annie offered, "I confess that I do love to sew but I'm not a baker. Joining your circle would be wonderful, if you're sure that it wouldn't be inconvenient."

"MAMA! Josh took my ribbon and he's tied it on Cougar and Cougar has run away and climbed up into the hayloft at the livery and I'm not allowed up there and I want my ribbon," wailed a small, shrieking blur as Beth Potter ran into the shop from the back.

"Elizabeth Mae Potter! What a way to behave! Now, stop your bellowing and calm down," scolded Gloria, "What a way to introduce yourself to your new teacher!"

Shocked into silence by the reminder that there were others in the shop, Beth peer around her mother's skirts to see Mary Travis smiling down at her and another stern looking lady who was peering down at her through wire rimmed glasses. Sniffling noisily, Beth whispered, "Sorry Mama. Sorry, Miz Travis. Sorry, Teacher."

Bending down with a hankie, Gloria mopped up her child and then turned to the new woman and offered, "This is my youngest, Beth. She's seven. My oldest is Josh, who's ten, and apparently in trouble again."

A soft smile broke out on Annie's face, making her look much younger and friendlier. Gazing down at the little imp behind Gloria, Annie said brightly, "Hello Beth. I hope you're looking forward to coming to school."

"Mr Ezra has already been teaching me and Josh and Billy and some of the other kids in town who's old enough. But he says that he can't teach us any more 'cos he can't promise to always be on time for class 'cos of his other dooties. What are dooties, Mama?"

"Duties are chores, or jobs, sweetheart," answered her mother patiently. Looking up at Annie, she explained, "Mr Standish has been taking some lessons when he can, but the seven often have to ride out after criminals, or on patrols. Poor Mr Standish tends to get ill or injured quite a lot too, which means he can't take his classes much to his regret. When it's not him up in the clinic, it's usually Mr Tanner. Between the two of them, they do keep poor Mr Jackson on his toes. I have to say that I, for one, am very happy to have the new clinic on ground level. Going up and down those stairs with a sick child, or a full tray for one or more of the seven is hazardous to your health in long skirts."

"I agree wholeheartedly, Gloria. Those rooms were not ideal for a healer's clinic, but they were the best that was available when Nathan first arrived. And when the owners of the boarding house at the time wouldn't rent to a black man and the hotel was too expensive… Well, Tiny let him those rooms just so the poor man would have somewhere to call his own," added Mary, both of them shaking their heads sadly at the prejudiced views of the late Mrs Williams. Ironic that she died of a heart attack, when she had rarely demonstrated that she had a heart. The new owner, Virgina Parker, was a far more convivial soul and ran her boarding house like a home. Virginia was the grandmother that every person should have and treated all of the seven like her family, scolding and spoiling them like little boys, much to their outward dismay and inward pleasure.

"As for Ezra and the school, well, knowing that the town is growing and there are more and more children, Ezra decided to create the school and approached Orrin – my father-in-law, Judge Travis – to go about hiring a suitable teacher. Education is very important to Ezra and he feels very strongly that children should be given the basics at the very least," continued Mary, "I had been sending my Billy to stay with his grandparents so that he could receive an education, but now I'll be able to keep him here with me. I can't tell you how thankful I am that that those seven men blew into this town and stayed. They've all brought something to the town. Nathan has been the only healer for miles and offers his help to anyone whether they can pay him or not. Josiah is rebuilding the church and holds services there on Sundays when he's in town. Ezra helps quite a lot of the shopkeepers with their books, as well as his lessons for the children. Vin helps the farmers by tracking cougars that are killing livestock and helps out with quite a few of the older residents by making sure they have fresh meat. JD keeps the sherriff's office clean and organised, making sure that all the most recent wanted posters are received. Chris… well, Chris is just helpful at keeping the bad element out of town by his presence alone."

Gloria cocked a knowing eyebrow at the last observation, drawing a flush to the newspaper editor's cheeks.

"I met a Mr Wilmington when I arrived. What does he do? And your mentioned seven men blew in, but only went on to mention six. Who is the seventh and what do they contribute to the town? I'm sorry if I'm being too inquisitive, but …" queried Annie shyly, surprised at the hearty laughs of the two women with her.

"Buck! Oh, you watch out for Buck. He's a scoundrel, even if he is a charming rogue," chuckled Gloria, absent-mindedly stroking a hand over Beth's hair as the girl continued to tug at her skirts for her attention.

"Now, Gloria, you know Buck has a heart as big and warm as Texas," chided Mary gently, not wanting the new woman to get the wrong idea. Turning to Annie, she explained, "Buck Wilmington loves women. All of them. Anyway he can, if you understand my meaning."

"Mr Buck's a hound dawg," piped up little Beth, causing her mother and Annie to gaze at her in shock and for Mary to give a quite unladylike snort of laughter.

"Where did you hear that, young lady?"

"I heard Mr Nathan tell Mr Josiah that when I was playing in the alley near Mr Vin's wagon," replied the child innocently, "But I don't know what they meant. I thought a hound was a dog, Mama. Mr Buck ain't a dog. He can't be, 'cos he don't have a tail."

Mary was red in the face as she tried to stop her laughter and Gloria's lips were twitching suspiciously. Finally, Gloria told her daughter, "Honey, Mr Jackson was calling Mr Wilmington a hound dog because Mr Wilmington is real friendly, like a dog. But it's not something that I want you repeating and you're not to call anyone by that name. It's a grown up term. Alright?"

"Alright, Mama. But Mama, what about my ribbon and Cougar?"

Sighing the sigh of a put upon mother, Gloria replied, "Cougar will come back when he's hungry, sweetie. The ribbon is lost, so you will just have to use one of your other ribbons. The good Lord above knows that you have enough of them."

"But Josh…" protested the mite, feeling her brother was getting away with his crime unpunished.

"Your brother will be brought to task tonight at supper," assured her mother, "Now you run along and play a while."

"Alright, Mama," agreed Beth reluctantly, dragging her feet and casting back pleading looks as she went out the front door.

Gales of laughter erupted as soon as the door closed behind her.

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When picturing Miss Adelia, I'm picturing the brilliant actress Esther Rolle from the television sitcom Good Times. Please Google her if you want.

Vin and Chris were sitting side by side, enjoying their after breakfast coffee in the morning sunshine outside the saloon, when they saw Beth Potter exit the General Store. Then they heard the faint laughter of women. Looking at each other and each raising an eyebrow, Chris muttered, "That can't be good."

Smirking, Vin turned to look up the street, scanning the new arrivals for anyone who may be trouble. Sitting up straighter, he pushed his hat up to get a better look, then reached back to thump the wall of the saloon and hollered, "EZ! You'd best get your fancy britches out here right now!"

In response to the unusually loud hale from their quietest member, JD ran out of the jail at the same time that Ezra and Buck ran out of the saloon, all with guns drawn.

"What appears to be the problem, gentlemen?"

"Lookie at the wagon just pulling inta town," urged Vin with a huge grin, pointing with his coffee mug.

Holstering his weapon, since his brother seemed to be quite safe, Ezra squinted in the direction he'd been shown. Slowly, a smile appeared on his lips and grew to a gold tinted, dimpled grin. Loosing a rebel yell, Ezra Standish – gentleman adventurer – ran from the porch towards an approaching wagon, waving his hat enthusiastically.

"Guess it's a friend," drawled Buck, curiously watching Ezra throw all dignity to the wind and sprint down the streets. At least he was fully clothed this time.

Reaching the wagon, Ezra climbed up on the bench and hauled back on the reins. Once the mules were stopped, he tied off the reins and threw his arms around the stout, black woman who was already hugging the stuffing out of him.

"Mr Ezra! I'm here at last! Dang but it's good ta see yer so well," exclaimed the woman excitedly, pressing her head firmly to her friend's chest. The last time she'd seen Ezra, she'd honestly though that she'd never see him again this side of glory, he'd been so grief stricken and bound on self destruction. Since finding this town and the men he worked with, his letters had given her hope and happiness for the first time in years.

"Miss Adelia Johnson! You are a sight for the sorest of eyes and I declare that you are more beautiful than ever," rejoiced the gambler, holding firm to the last person who'd seen his beloved family. His ex-housekeeper had mothered him as much as his Emmaline had and had been regarded as family for years. He was overjoyed to see her again. Looking down, he saw that Vin, Buck and Chris had ambled over to them.

"Gentlemen, may I introduce y'all to Miss Adelia Johnson, the maker of the most delectable pastries that you are ever likely to have the pleasure of sampling. Miss Adelia, these here are my friends, Buck Wilmington, Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner," announced Ezra, proudly.

"It sure is a pleasure to meet all y'all in the flesh," said Adelia, gazing at each of the men below her. So these were the men who'd saved her Ezra from a life of loneliness. Scruffy looking lot, who all needed some feeding up, but there was something about the eyes that showed their kindness. Heavens, the one in black was a ferocious lookin' man and no mistake, but his eyes were soft when they looked at her Ezra. Nodding with approval, she added, "Even without him telling me, I'd have known who y'all were just from his letters."

"Seems that he talks about us a lot in letters to folk," muttered Buck, glancing at the gambler.

"Mr Ezra is a fine writer and an eloquent speaker, always has been, always will be. Why, he taught me and my brother to read and write easy as ya please. No-one ever cared iffun I could read or write before, so long as I could cook and clean. And you should have seen him up there in front of the judges… Whoooeee, he was something! Talked circles around them other lawyers and even made the judges shake their heads. Always dressed so fine and proper too, though not as colourful as he does now," rambled the woman fondly, smoothing her worn hand down the front of Ezra's scarlet jacket.

Catching her hand, Ezra smiled happily and kissed the back of it. Then he tore his eyes from the woman beside him to say, "As much as I'd love to sit here and allow you to sing my praises, you must be eager to end your journey and see your new premises, Miss Adelia. Gentlemen, if you would be so kind as to follow us, I would appreciate some help with unloading this here wagon."

"Sure Ez, be glad ta help," agreed Vin, walking around the back of the wagon and hopping up on the back. He was soon joined by both Buck and Chris and they rode the short distance to the new bakery.

Hopping down and hurrying around to the side, Buck reached out a hand to help the woman from her seat.

"Thank yer, Mr Wilmington," said Adelia, letting the tall man help her down. Standing on firm ground again, she stretched her arms around and tried to ease the kinks out of her shoulders.

"Please, call me Buck."

Nodding and smiling at the moustached man, Adelia turned to the building in front of her. There was a sign out the front that caused her to whistle and grin, then turning to Ezra she grabbed him and squeezed him tight enough to make him whuff out a breath.

"Ain't that something? Adelia's Bakehouse! Right there on a sign for all to see. My own name on my own shop. Whooeee," crowed the woman, letting a relieved Ezra go and moving over to get a closer look at the swinging sign. Moving to look at it from both sides, she turned back to grin widely at the assembled men. "Ya gonna let me in?"

"Certainly," wheezed Ezra, still clutching his ribs. Moving forward, he removed a set of keys from his pocket and opened the door, bowing with a flourish to indicate that Adelia should preceed him.

Playfully assuming an air of aloofness, Adelia swept into the bakehouse where she promptly reverted to her previous enthusiasm. By this time, Archie and Nathan had heard the commotion and come out of the surgery to join the others so they all walked in.

"Miss Adelia, may I present my friend and your neighbour, Doctor Charles Archibald Fletcher? Also, my friend and fellow lawmen and Doctor Fletcher's apprentice, Nathan Jackson," presented Ezra formally, "Gentlemen, the delight and very talented new owner of this establishment and a treasured friend of mine, Miss Adelia Johnson."

Bypassing the offered hand, Adelia swooped in and hugged both men to their embarrassment. Tears sparkling in her eyes, the older woman told them, "There just aren't words to thank either of you. I've heard all about you, Doctor Fletcher. Without you, my Mr Ezra would never have survived the war. And without you, Mr Jackson, Ezra would have died a couple of times over in the last few months alone. There's angels looking down on both of you and no mistake."

Flustered, neither man knew what to say whilst Ezra just turned his back on all of them, his shoulders shaking with what looked suspiciously like silent laughter to Vin.

"Guess we should start ta unpacking ya wagon then, Ms Adelia," offered Vin, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Of course, we'll just go and start on that," declared Chris, grateful for the excuse to leave. Buck just nodded and swiftly followed, Nathan hot on his heels.

"Miss Adelia, it is going to be so good having you close by again," declared Ezra, discreetly wiping tears of mirth from his eye. "Shall we adjourn upstairs so that you may explore your living quarters?"

Having examined her quarters, directed the puffing men as to where she wanted all her precious belongings put, and been given the same speech as the other new tenants, Miss Adelia was left to rest after her journey, whilst all the men went to the saloon. Ezra had made arrangements with Tiny to have him store the wagon and board the mules, so he was free to join the others in the saloon.

"Mah son, the great philanthropist, has arrived!"

"Aw dammit!"

Maude had been waiting to pounce on her son at the saloon, her temper reaching hotter and hotter levels the longer she was left to stew. Having seen the article in the paper, the conwoman had ground her teeth in rage at seeing how that damnable town and it's wretched inhabitants had conned her baby boy. To think that Ezra had once been so sharp and now he was reduced to spending a fortune on ingrates and nobodies. Thinking on all the lovely money that they could have used to buy a glittering casino in San Franscisco or New Orleans, made her clench her fists with impotent anger.

Inez watched the older woman seethe at Ezra's table as Maude sat and drank his good scotch. She hoped that Maude wasn't going to cause Ezra any pain, like every other time that the woman had blown in and out of his life. That hope died at the woman's sarcastic greeting.

"Don't you turn your back on your mother, you ungrateful whelp," cried Maude, standing and striding towards her son, her usually mellifluent voice turning harsh and shrill.

Buck, Chris, Vin and Nathan formed a solid, very formidable and very hostile wall between the gambler and his mother. Chris rested his hand on his gun and growled, "Ez ain't got anything to say to you, Maude. Not unless you can keep a civil tongue in your head. Preferably one that hasn't been sharpened at both ends and dipped in venom."

"Are you going to let these men fight your battles for you, Ezra? I raised you better than to be a coward!"

Cringing at having such a public spectacle inflicted on him, Ezra was just about to respond when he was witness to a sight he'd never forget.

Hurling Spanish invectives with astonishing speed and clarity, Inez bore down on Maude like the wrath of God. Wielding her broom, the fiesty Mexican bar manager whacked the stunned conwoman around the shoulders and back, forcing her towards the doors.

Stepping back with their mouths open, all five of the gunslingers watched as Inez Rocillos single handedly swept the formidable Maude Standish out of the saloon. Hurrying out after them, they continued to watch the spectacle unfold. Most of them only understood every fifth word that came out of Inez's mouth, but Vin and Chris were catching the gist of it. Ezra being fluent, caught it all and couldn't help but smile at the loyalty being shown.

A last solid shove with the broom saw Maude Standish sprawled in the dusty street, cringing back from the enraged bar manager and screaming, "Have you gone insane! I pulled you off the streets and gave you a job and this is how you repay me?"

Seeing Inez puff up to renew her attack, Buck swiftly moved forward and hooked an arm around his lovely senorita and lifted her up to carry back to the saloon. Thankfully, Chris has broken out of his stupor in time to confiscate Inez's broom.

"Mother, I believe you may have worn out your welcome in this town. Perhaps it would be best if you were to leave on the next stage," suggested Ezra, his face firmly set in the poker face that his friends all hated and had hoped never to see again.

"I'll leave when I'm damn good and ready, Ezra Patrick Standish. Now get down here and help me up! Then you can explain to me how you can throw away all that money, wasting it on people who mean nothing to you, when you never even spared your mother a thought. Do you know how much I had to spend on you over the years? Your clothing, your training, your meals, your accommodation, your schooling, doctors, boarding fees…You owe me, Ezra!"

"How dare you!"

Shocked by what his mother had said, Ezra numbly turned to the source of the new voice. There stood Gloria Potter and Mary Travis, shoulder to shoulder and equally infuriated.

"What sort of mother are you to count up the money you spend on your child? A child's love is all that a parent should expect in return. As a mother, it's your duty to provide the very best you can for your children. I never heard the like," managed a flabbergasted Gloria.

"It's not like you didn't put the poor child to work either, Maude," continued Mary, her eyes icy and her tone glacial. "You told me yourself how he'd outgamble grown men when he was just a child. What sort of mother encourages her child to gamble and con?"

"Ya instilled a lot of high falutin' ways in yer son, Mrs Standish, but I reckon he must have gotten his good heart from his father," announced Nettie, standing next to JD who'd came running from the jail at the commotion, her hands on her hips and a look of disgust on her face. "Lord above knows he didn't get it from you."

"Ya never raised that boy. He was dumped on every relation, friend and stranger ya could find to take him, whether they wanted him or not. Ya never once thought to check on them either, never asked him how they treated him, never cared that you'd pick him up bruised and beaten," snarled Adelia, from where she now stood. Her boy had told her all about his childhood one night as he nursed his infant son. He'd told her how he couldn't look at his children and ever imagine leaving them, which made it even harder to understand what he'd done so wrong to make Maude treat him so badly. Righteously protective, Adelia scowled down at the conwoman cowered in the dirt and growled, "Ya got no right to him no more. He's ours now and we ain't letting ya hurt him no more. Now y'all just git up and git yerself over to yer hotel. Don't be showing that face until the morning stage tomorrow. Then ya don't be coming back ever agin, ya hear me, Ms Standish."

With as much dignity as she could muster, Maude rose to her feet and brushed herself off. Looking around at the gathered crowd haughtily, she locked on the emerald green eyes of her handsome son. The same eyes as his father. Swallowing hard, she said, "I did the best I could."

A tear trailed down his cheek as Ezra replied, "I know. But it wasn't enough."

Sniffing, Maude gathered her skirts and stalked towards the hotel trying to ignore the hostile faces of all those around her. Pausing when she reached Josiah, hoping for at least one supporter, she was disappointed when the once admiring face showed only regret. Continuing on, Maude acknowledged that she'd lost her son once and for all. Deep inside her, where she kept memories of her first husband, she wept.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

Mortified at having his past shouted out for all and sundry to hear and heartsick at having his mother's disregard for him displayed, Ezra couldn't make himself look anyone in the eye. Standing quietly as all the ladies came over to him, he kept his gaze on the dusty tips of his boots.

"Ezra? Honey, look at me, now," demanded Adelia, having gently taken her boy's handsome face in her care worn hands. When Ezra's shame-filled green eyes slowly raised to hers, she clucked her tongue impatiently and said, "Now, none o' that, chile. You got nothin' ta be ashamed of, ya hear me. So what iffun folks know what a devil woman ya've got fer a mama? Not the first time that woman's been here, so probably ain't news to any of 'em."

"She did her best, Miss Adelia. If I had…" whispered Ezra timidly, only to be cut off by the feisty older woman.

"You was just an itty bitty scrap of a chile and didn't do nothin' to earn the life that woman forced you into, Ezra Standish! So don't you be making excuses for her. She was an adult and knew what she was doin'. You tole me yourself that you stayed with some good folk who wanted you, but she took you away from them because she needed you for some bad thing or other. She left you with folk who beat on you, who starved you, who dang near worked ya'll to death. That ain't doin' your best by your chile. Iffun she couldn't look after you, then she shoulda left you with your Aunt Grace or Uncle Hamish. Folk who cared 'bout ya'll," scolded Adelia, glaring into the green eyes that were currently swimming in tears. Noticing that the six men, along with Archie, Inez, Mary, Gloria and Nettie, had formed a shield around them to protect the southerner from the prying eyes of the townsfolk, she gathered the gambler to her bosom and continued in a softer voice, "You's a good man with a kind and gentle heart, Ezra Standish. Ya'll need to let go of the past now and look to the future. Ya got good folk who care 'bout ya skin and bone self in this here town and ya'll just need to concentrate on that. Ya hearing me, white boy?"

Giving a watery chuckle at the old friendly insults, Ezra nodded and gave Adelia a bit of squeeze before straightening up and fishing out a handkerchief to mop up his face. Looking around at his friends and family with a shy smile, he said quietly, "I hear you, Miss Adelia. Thank you all for standing up to Maude for me. I… I've never… Well, no-one's stood up for me in a very long time."

Moving up beside Ezra silently, Vin put his arm around the scarlet clad shoulders and answered, "Anytime, Ez. Like Miss Adelia said, you's ours now. We look out for what's ours."

Everyone in the circle nodded firmly and made affirmative noises. Heart swelling with love for the strange mix of people who seemed to have adopted him, as he had them, Ezra offered, "I'd like to buy everyone a libation, but I don't believe the ladies would be comfortable in the saloon, so instead why don't we all adjourn to the restaurant? The least I can do is buy you all lunch, late though it is."

"You're on, Fancy Man," announced Nettie, seeing that the gambler was embarrassed and wanting to get things on a more even keel. She also saw that several people were about to protest that the southerner didn't need to feel obligated, but she knew that buying things was the way Ezra showed his love and appreciation. Hardly surprising that he equated love with material possessions, given his mother, but now was not the time to be disabusing him of a lifetime belief. Slapping him on the shoulder before she grabbed Vin's arm, she declared with a grin, "C'mon Tanner, escort this wizened old crone to lunch."

"Ya ain't old, Miz Nettie," demurred Vin, patting the hand on his arm fondly, then laughing at the wink Nettie sent to the blushing southerner. When Ezra poked his tongue out in retaliation, Vin just laughed harder.

Buck immediately claimed a reluctant Inez and coaxed her towards the restaurant as she protested that she shouldn't be leaving the saloon. When the big rogue reminded her that it was hardly busy and that Joe could handle the few customers for an hour or so, she tentatively took his arm and came with them. JD scurried over to Casey and offered his arm, both of the young lovers blushing red as they imitated their elders. Josiah claimed Gloria, who was also protesting at leaving the shop untended for too long. She'd hastily shut the door and put up the closed sign before joining Mary in her efforts to protect their gambler, so she didn't protest too hard before holding tightly to the strong arm of the preacher. Chris scooped up Billy, who had just come back into town from a fishing trip with the Judge. The Judge took Mary's arm as she hurried to fill him in on what had occurred in his absence. Nathan gallantly offered an arm to Miss Adelia, which left Ezra and Archie to wander along in the wake of the others in companionable silence.

After a delicious meal marked by much laughter and fun at the restaurant, everyone went their separate ways again. Vin hung back as he waited for Ezra to be thanked by everyone, the men shaking his hand and the ladies patting or kissing his cheek. Glancing up from where he was slouching against the lobby wall, he saw his brother stop and stare forlornly up the stairs towards where Maude was hiding in her room. Heart going out to the southerner, he walked over and said, "I'll come up with ya iffun ya wanted to say ya piece to Maude, private like. We could maybe take her up some food."

Surprised, Ezra looked at the tracker and remarked, "I thought you didn't like my mother, Vin."

Looking down at his feet, Vin struggled to find the words to convey how he felt. Finally, he shrugged and drawled, "Don't like what she done ta ya or how she raised ya up, Ez. Hate how she treats ya and how that makes ya feel afterwards. But… she's ya Ma and I guess I can understand ya wanting ta have her in ya life somehow. But ya ain't seeing her alone, Ez. She twists ya up when y'all are alone together. I'm coming in with ya and I'll be havin' ma say iffun she starts being twisty with ya. Fair warnin'."

"Thank you, Vin," whispered the southerner, deeply touched by the understanding of the tracker. Knowing that Maude would have ordered meals to be delivered to her, he merely started the trek up the stairs to the topmost floor where the 'suite' was kept. Once he was standing outside the door, he stopped and gathered his wits about him. Thankful for the steadying effect of the warm hand that was laid on his shoulder, he held his head up with poker face on and knocked on the door.

"Come."

Frowning at the subdued call, the southerner was further confused by the unlocked door. Entering the room, he was surprised to find Maude sitting on the bed with her back to the door. Much like himself, the crafty conwoman never left her back open to attack. Also, her posture was less than ramrod straight which was most unusual. Glancing at the tracker nervously and receiving an encouraging nod, Ezra cleared his throat and called, "Mother?"

Slowly standing and turning to face her son, Maude Standish gazed at the two men and drawled, "Are you two here to take me to my tar and feathering?"

Looking at his beautiful, blonde mother, Ezra was shocked to realise that for the first time in his memory Maude looked truly old. In fact, his vivacious, larger than life mother looked positively haggard. Her hair looked more white than blonde and wispier, her eyes were more lined and currently dull and red rimmed, the skin around her mouth and chin dragged just a little. Glancing down to her hands, he noted that she clutched tightly to an unfamiliar travel photo frame.

Giving his brother time to gather his thoughts, Vin told her, "Nah, no tar and feathers, Maude. Ez here just had something ta say ta ya that he didn't want everyone on the streets ta hear."

"Why are you here then, Mr Tanner," asked Maude wearily, her accent thick. "Do you also have something to say to me that couldn't be aired to the general public?"

"He's here to support me, Mother, knowing how difficult it is for me to face you after that nasty confrontation before. I… I don't want you leaving with the last words between us being in anger. So I'm asking you to hear me out and then I'll go and you will never have to deal with me again," explained Ezra, his own voice thick with suppressed emotions. Seeing his mother's slight nod, he took a deep breath and continued, "Uncle Hamish was quite explicit in his will and strictly forbade me giving you any of the money or using the inheritence to help you in any way. I've had the Judge look at it and it's quite air tight with no room for misinterpretation. There is simply no way that I could have shared my largesse with you. As for using it to better this town… Well, this town has bettered me, so I see it as a fair return."

Walking towards Maude, ignoring the small noise of disbelief that she'd made at his last statement, he said earnestly, "Truly, Mother. I haven't been this happy in years, not since…"

For the first time, Vin saw an emotion that looked suspiciously like sympathy flit across Maude's face as the conwoman took a small involuntary step towards Ezra when his voice cracked and he faltered. When she stopped, Vin moved forward and put his hand on his brother's shoulder and squeezed it to remind the gambler that he wasn't alone.

Seeing the scruffy tracker come forward and put a hand on her son's shoulder, Maude stiffened and looked away. She'd heard rumours that her son and the tracker were sharing a bed. Being a well travelled woman, she was aware of men who took their pleasure with other men, but she'd never thought that her Ezra was one. Unsure if she approved of such men or not, she definitely didn't approve of the ill-educated, raggedy Texan being the chosen mate of her son. She had raised him to have higher standards than that and chosing a bedmate on love was foolish and always ended in pain. Hadn't he learned that with his wife, or from her own bereavement? Sniffing haughtily, she drawled nastily, "I see what I've been told is true. You and this pretty piece of trash have been sharing unnatural affections."

"WHAT?!"

Startled by the loudness of Ezra's exclamation and having a vague feeling that he'd been insulted, Vin took his hand off Ezra and put it on his gun, frowning uncertainly.

Thrown off track by his mother's sudden switch in mood and her accusation, Ezra immediately protested, "How dare you! First of all, it is not now nor will it every be, any of your business who shares my bed. Secondly, Vin and I do share a bed but in a purely fraternal way that in no way reflects your prurient assumptions. We hold a brotherly affection for each other that is in no way dissolute. I am offended by your remark and demand an immediate apology."

Slightly afraid of her son for a second, since Ezra's face was almost feral with incandescent and righteous anger, Maude quickly murmured an apology.

Softening at the look of fear in her eyes, Ezra sighed and explained, "All the time I was growing up, I wanted someone who would accept me for who I am. Not because I was good at cards, not because I could do something for them, not because I was good at pretending to be something I wasn't, but purely because they liked who I was. I wanted companionship. Someone with whom I could share my thoughts, my fears, my joys. I had no experience of it, but what I wanted was a brother. Since I've come to Four Corners, I've found myself not one but five brothers and a father…"

"You have a father! An excellent man who loved you more than anything!"

Holding his hands up placatingly towards his incensed mother, Ezra hastily amended, "A father figure then. You'll admit that I haven't had a reliable, steady male presence in my life since Daddy was taken from us so long ago. The various 'uncles' you left me, with the exception of Uncle Hamish and Uncle Stanley, were either cruel or indifferent. Even Hamish and Stanley felt more like doting uncles than fathers. Josiah… well, he feels like a father. He's not replacing Daddy in my affections, but there's room for him nonetheless. I have found older brothers in Chris and Buck, and younger brothers in Vin and JD. Although I am closest to Vin, Buck and Chris."

Shaken by her reaction to Ezra's statement regarding Josiah, Maude said snidely, "Do they also share your bed?"

"Please Maude, churlishness simply doesn't become you," scolded Ezra, "Vin shares my bed because he has a problem with his back, which is helped by sleeping on my feather topped mattress. His usual choice of bed is his old wagon or under the stars out in the desert somewhere, neither of which is suitable in this frigid weather. Neither of us receive any sexual gratification from the closeness of other men."

Flushing red at the blunt words, Maude turned towards the window, her fingers clutching the picture frame so tightly that the edges were cutting into the skin.

Sighing and bowing his head, Ezra wondered why he was even attempting to talk to Maude. The woman had never truly listened to him in the past, so why did he expect her to start now. Walking over to her, he gently prised the frame from her hands, asking, "What have you got there?"

Begrudgingly releasing the frame, Maude watched her son's face as he opened it to reveal two photos. On the left hand side was a photograph of Ezra as a child sitting on Maude's lap, whilst his father stood proudly at her right shoulder, his hand resting lovingly on her left shoulder. Watching, she saw his face soften as he traced a finger over his father's face which was so very like his own. But then his eyes drifted to the right and he paled as he staggered back before dropping to sit on the bed.

"Ez! Are ya alright?"

Standing silently as the two Standishes hashed out their differences, Vin had been alarmed to see Ezra's reaction to the frame. One long step had him by his brother's side, his arm around the now shaking man as he looked over his shoulder at the photos. Gathering that the first was of Ezra as a child with his parents, he then looked at the other and gasped softly. It was of Ezra and a women who could only have been his Emmaline, each with a chubby cheeked cherub on their laps. Tightening his hold, he rested his chin on the scarlet clad shoulder and murmured, "Ya family?"

Nodding, Ezra didn't notice as tears began to fall down his cheeks. Tearing his eyes from the beloved faces, he looked up at Maude and asked, "How?"

"You may think that I never cared for you, but I did. After your Daddy was stolen from us, I wasn't a good mother to you, I admit. You looked too much like my love and I couldn't stand to be reminded of my loss everytime I looked into the eyes you inherited from him. Or when you would cock your head in puzzlement. Or when you'd grin with that damn dimple of his. It just hurt too much to think that I was alone again. So I sent you to live with others, but I always knew where you were," explained Maude, twisting her handkerchief in her hands.

"Ya knew what those folks were doin' ta him and ya left him there anyway," snarled Vin, hovering between disbelief and hostility.

Relishing the almost uncomfortably tight hold that the tracker had on him, Ezra gazed at his mother with a look of dazed betrayal. He'd always told himself that his mother didn't know about the neglect and abuse he'd suffered at the hands of the carers she'd appointed. Now, it looked like that belief would be crashing down on him.

Unable to look either young man in the eyes, Maude looked down at the photographs still held in her son's hands. Guilt caused her face to age even further as she replied in a voice so soft that they almost didn't hear her, "I knew. But usually only after I'd collected him. Sometimes I would hear of it and that's why I would collect him. When he was with me, he'd have terrible nightmares but I'd taught him well and he never came to me for comfort. I knew when he was happy with someone too, so I would come and collect him to prevent him from becoming too attached. I had to protect him from feeling the pain of loss, don't you see? If you look after yourself, if you're reliant on yourself, if you don't care for others… I had to train him to ignore the tender heart that he got from his father so that I could protect him from feeling the agony of having people betray him. Protect him from feeling the pain of having someone you love ripped from your heart."

"All ya did was sentence him to a lonely, miserable childhood, Maude. That ain't protection, it's punishment," chided Vin, rubbing a hand up and down Ezra's arm.

"I realise that now, but back then my own grief was so fresh and I couldn't acknowledge it because… because I knew it would consume me whole. I pushed everything away – Ezra, my grief, my anger, my memories. Ezra wasn't the only lonely, miserable one, Mr Tanner. I sentenced myself to the same fate," replied Maude, sitting wearily in the chair by the window. "I became obsessed by the pursuit of wealth , the thrill of the con, the deprivation of other people's dreams. I told myself stories of what Ezra would be doing. Of the fun he would be having without me…"

"Why have you never mentioned my family, Maude? I wrote you of them. I sent you this picture. I sent you letters when each of my babies was born. I wrote to you when they…" pausing, Ezra swallowed hard and then ground out, "I wrote to you when they were taken from me. You never once mentioned them in any of your correspondence. You never came to my wedding. You never came to meet your grandchildren. You never came to their funerals! I needed you! I've always needed you!"

Holding her shaking hand to hide her eyes, Maude sat silent under Ezra's questions and accusations. Finally, she looked up through tear washed eyes and whispered, "I couldn't stand to see you happy, darlin' boy. I knew it wouldn't last. Happiness never does. In fact, I was back East when you married and wouldn't have the trip in time anyway. I couldn't stand to see you hurt either. I knew you had good people around you how would take care of you after you lost your family. You've always been one to attract the good hearted attentions of those around you. But I simply couldn't be near you when you were in so much pain."

Silence settled on the room as the occupants digested what had been revealed. Ezra had slumped into Vin, letting the younger man support him. Carefully tracing his finger over the faces of his babies, he remembered how it felt when they were born, how it felt to hold their little bodies in his arms, how it felt to hear them scream out 'Dadda' when he came home, how it felt to have his babies look at him with such love and trust that his heart nearly pounded right out of his chest with pride and love for them. Switching his gaze to the sweet face of his Emmaline, he remembered the way she looked in her wedding gown, how content he'd felt waking up with her in his arms, the feel of her hair under his fingers, the sound of her light laughter and singing and the fierceness of her temper when she thought something was endangering her babies.

Holding the frame to his chest, Ezra looked at Maude and told her, "Even if I knew that it would all be taken from me… Even if I knew the heart wrenching, soul destroying agony I would feel if I lost them… There isn't a single chance that I would have missed a moment of my time with Emmaline, Amelia and James. I treasure every single second I had with them. I will never understand how you could push your own child away, for any reason. I do love you, Mother, but I'm afraid that I don't like you very much. I will continue to correspond with you but, until you can visit without scheming or wreaking havoc within my community, I would suggest you stay away."

Standing, Ezra moved over to Maude and bent stiffly to kiss her lightly on the cheek. After placing the photograph frame carefully back into her hands, he moved to the door, followed by Vin. Turning back, he withdrew a small velvet pouch from his pocket along with an envelope. Placing them on the dresser, he commented without looking at Maude, "This is all the money I had saved towards buying back the Saloon. It's my money, not from the inheritence, but you're welcome to it. I've also left you a small Christmas gift as it now looks like we will be spending the holidays apart as usual. Goodbye, Mother. Take care."

Closing the door quietly behind them, Ezra turned to the tracker and blindly reached for him, tears running down his face as he pleaded, "Take me to my room, Vin. I don't want to see anyone else today."

Nodding once, Vin put a guiding arm around his hurting brother's back and led him home.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

Dusk was verging on full darkness by the time, Maude stirred from her seat. Standing, she uttered a small groan as her stiff muscles and old bones protested. Acknowledging her age was a recent development, along with the realisation that she was going to enter her age of infirmity alone and friendless. Admittedly, was still an attractive woman for the most part, but her days of being able to beguile men were rapidly drawing to a close. Sighing, she walked over to the dresser and set the photo of her family on top of it.

"Oh my love. Why were you so careless? Why did you leave me alone when it's so clear that I needed you to raise our son properly. I've done the best I could, but I failed miserably. Our Ezra's a strong boy with so much of you in him, Patrick. He's risen above my training and let his heart shine. The people he's gathered around him here in this horrible, dusty town are good people. Far better than me, in any case. Even his ill-educated friend, Mr Tanner, has shown himself to be faithful and loyal to our boy. I'm still not sure of the others, but I believe Mr Larabee would protect Ezra and it seems that Josiah has taken up where you left off."

Resting her forehead on the top of the high dresser wearily, Maude let the tears flow. Sniffing daintily, she wiped at her face and looked at the small pouch curiously. Picking up the envelope first, she opened it and riffled through the notes. It was a tidy sum and even if he hadn't inherited Hamish's money, he'd have soon had enough to reclaim the Saloon. The bank manager had been working off a gambling debt to her by keeping her informed of the town's news, including sending her the Clarion on a regular basis. Smirking a little, Maude wondered if the dashing young man calling himself Henry Davenport was in fact an agent acting on behalf of her son. In any case, she was no longer going to interfere in his life in Four Corners. Today's confrontation showed that he had a lot of folk to look after him now.

Rubbing cautiously at the lump in her abdomen that caused her so much pain, especially in the night, she then looked at the little black, velvet pouch. Picking it up with trembling hands, she opened it to find an exquisite gold locket brooch. Releasing the clasp with a flick of her fingernail, she sobbed once when confronted with the images within. On one side was her beloved Patrick, and on the other a photo of her darlin' boy. Lightly kissing each face, Maude gazed at them a little longer before carefully closing the clasp. Her sensitive fingers detected the inscription, so she turned it over to read, 'Gone from your arms, but forever in your heart.' Moving to the bed, Maude curled up and cried, clutching the locket to her breast.

Ezra had retired to his room and had no intention of leaving it until the next day. Dealing with Maude had been emotionally draining and left him physically exhausted. He'd sat in his rocking chair for most of the time, but eventually retired to his bed. Inez had brought him up a tray of food, which he'd thanked her for and actually eaten since she'd only given him a light meal. Chris had been nominated by the others to be the one to come up and check on him. Quietly, Ezra had given the dark clad man an abbreviated version of what had occurred and asked that he be left alone for the night. Chris had nodded and assured him that he'd keep the others away. Getting up from the bed where he'd been sitting, the gunslinger had walked over and stood beside the gambler with his large hand on the back of his younger brother's neck for a few moments. Then he'd given it a squeeze and walked out without further comment, leaving Ezra smiling a little at the change in attitude that had occurred between the men.

In the wee hours of the morning, stealthily moving down the darkened hallway, Vin returned from his patrol. The tracker rarely took the night patrols, preferring the dawn patrol, but Josiah still wasn't a hundred percent so the roster had been reworked a little temporarily. Unlocking the bedroom door and sliding in, he carefully relocked the door and set about stripping down to his skivvies as quickly as possible so he could get into the warm bed. It had been bitterly cold on the long ride around the borders of town and the Texan was near frozen to the bone. His efforts to undress were hampered slightly by the lump under his winter shirt that he had to keep cradled in one of his hands. Finally, he found himself sinking into the feather topped mattress, with a long silent sigh of relief. Letting the body warmed bed ease out the aches and pains, he smiled happily.

Half awake, Ezra waited for his brother to settle himself in the bed before dozing off again.

Peace reigned in Four Corners for all of fifteen minutes.

Awakening to the sensation of a tongue licking around his ear wasn't something that Ezra was accustomed to anymore. Chuckling warmly and still half awake, he murmured, "Emmy, enough. A man needs his sleep…"

When he received no further response than a small yip and heavy panting, Ezra turned his head and opened bleary eyes to behold a small furry face looming over him in the dim light. Scrabbling for his gun, the gambler managed to fall right out of the bed, landing with a yelp and a thump on the cold, wooden floor.

"Ez? Ya alright?"

Rolling over onto his other side, Vin issued the sleepy question from behind firmly closed lids, thus missing the sight in front of him.

The gambler was not so lucky. Having scrambled to his feet, he glared down at the small creature now happily licking itself whilst curled up on his down pilla!

"Devin James Tanner! Just what in hell is that and what is it doing in mah bed!"

Eyes flying open in alarm, Vin's hands immediately went to where the critter had been curled up inside his undershirt near his belly. Coming to rest against nothing my his own lean stomach, the tracker gazed wildly around until he caught sight of the little beast sitting on Ez's pillow.

"Uh, it's just a pup that I found on the trail tonight. I heard him wailing and followed the sound. Found him lodged upside down in a gap in the rocks. Dunno how he got ta be there. I looked round for his ma but couldn't see much in the dark."

"So you thought you should bring it back with you, rather than leave it right side up in the wild so that its parents could find it again?"

"Aw, Ez. Don't ya think I tried that. The little fella followed me. When I got up on Peso, he kept followin' me n' making the most pitiful little noises ya ever heard. When he realised he couldn't keep up, he sat down and howled. Fair tore ma heart out. I couldn't just leave him there. Who knows whether his kin were even still around? Anything might have gotten him…"

Unable to fight against the large, luminous blue eyes gazing up at him pleadingly in the dim light from the lamp that Vin had been too weary to remember to extinguish, Ezra made one last attempt at outrage.

"Fine. You couldn't leave it in the desert, but why did you bring it back here? Couldn't you have fixed it a box in the livery?"

"He's just a little fella, Ez. Not sure he's even supposed ta be away from his Ma yet. I gave him some milk in the kitchen that I warmed up and he seemed ta take ter it, so I'm guessing he'll be okay fer feeding. Took him out back ta take care o' his business, then came up here. He's a good little fella, Ez, cain't jist abandon him," begged Vin, chewing on his lip as he awaited his brother's verdict. He should have known better than to bring the pup into bed with him, but he was just too tired to make him up a bed on the floor. Could have slept in the wagon, but then they'd have both froze.

Sighing, Ezra gingerly picked the pup up and looked it over. Didn't look like it was a wolf or coyote. Not pureblood anyway. It looked like your standard, brown, shaggy mongrel pup. Huffing when the cheeky little animal started to chew on his thumb, the gambler folded. He knew when he held a losing hand. Putting the pup back on the bed, he shoo'd it over to Vin, then turned his pillow over with a vigorous shake to refluff it and got back into bed. Lying there quietly, he listened as Vin quietly soothed the pup as it wiggled and squirmed under the covers. Finally, it found a comfortable position with its rump up against Vin's belly and its head on the gambler's outstretched hand. Heaving a long suffering sigh, Ezra started to stroke its head, earning himself a lick.

"Thanks, Ez. Promise I'll make him a proper bed down in the kitchen tomorrow," whispered Vin, beyond thankful that both he and his new friend hadn't been ejected to sleep in the cold.

A rough chuckle erupted from the gambler as he pictured Inez's face when she saw that her immaculately clean kitchen had been invaded by the scruffy animal. Knowing that Vin was connecting the orphaned animal to his own tragic childhood, neither of them wanted or loved, he compromised.

"Inez won't let you keep an animal in her kitchen, Vin, and you know it. You can keep him up here at night… in his own bed by the stove, mind."

Noting that Ezra wasn't calling his pup it anymore, Vin grinned and reached out to give the gambler's arm a grateful squeeze.

"What are you going to call him?"

"Dunno. Hadn't given it much thought. What would you call him?"

"From the brief glimpse I got, he seemed to have a certain appeal to him. Maybe you could call him Buck, since they share an animal magnetism?"

Bursting into laughter, Vin quickly contained himself for fear of waking the Saloon's other inhabitants. Snorting, he replied, "That's just cruel. What did the pup ever do ta ya?"

Chuckling, Ezra yawned and threw out a few more suggestions of dogs he'd known over the years, "Benjy, Max, Barkers, Bones, Tag, Snuggles…"

Incredulous, Vin interrupted, "Snuggles? What kinda name is that fer a self respectin' dog?"

"It belonged to an elderly lady I was foisted on once. Horrible, yappy little animal that left unpleasant puddles wherever it went. I would have to clean up after it, of course. Damn thing bit anything or anybody who got close to Great-Aunt Josephine, not that anyone particularly wanted to get close to her as she was just as likely to snap and snarl as the dog. I don't think I've ever been so happy to hear of an animal's passing as I was, when I woke one morning, to hear from Great-Aunt Josephine's chamber maid that the little devil's spawn had choked on his morning liver treat."

Chuckling along with Ezra, Vin considered his new pet as he stroked the wiry hair and said softly, "Well, I think I'm gonna call him Baker."

Eyebrows raising in surprise, Ezra turned his head on the pillow and asked, "Why Baker?"

"Had me a friend once. Scrappy little kid with wild brown hair that stuck up all over the place, no matter how much he wet n' combed it. That kid stuck ta me like shit ter a blanket. Didn't matter where I went, that kid would be right behind me. Followed me from the orphanage n' out into the wilds when I couldn't take no more beatin's. One day I looked around fer ma shadow and he weren't there so I backtracked. Found 'im shaking and shivering, standing real still whilst looking down at tha biggest damn rattler I'd ever seen. I tole 'im to stay still and it would slither away but he panicked when he heard me n' got bit. We's too far from town n' weren't no-one gonna help two orphans like us anyhow. All's I could do was hold 'im while he cried until he stopped breathin'. Ya ever see anyone die from snakebite, Ez?"

"Once, Vin. It wasn't a rattle snake. It was a cottonmouth and the results were rather horrific. An older fellow I knew during the late unpleasantness had the vast misfortune to fall into a nest of them. His pain was all consuming but mercifully brief, thanks to the sheer number of bites that covered him," recounted Ezra, shuddering at the memory. "I am truly sorry to hear that you had such an experience. How old were you?"

"I's 'bout nine, I reckon. Anyway, the kid's name was Sam Baker, but we called each other by our last names. Baker and the pup have sort o' the same coloured hair n' they both seem ta wanna follow me 'round. So I reckon I'll call the pup Baker. Ya reckon that's disrespectful?"

"No, Vin, I think that your young friend would be honoured to know that you still think of him fondly. I suspect that your little canine friend and your childhood friend will show themselves to possess the same qualities of loyalty, faithfulness and unquestioning love. So, Baker it is," soothed Ezra, turning to face Vin and lifting his hand to stroke a few stray tendrils of his brother's fine hair out of his blue eyes.

Sighing, Vin closed his eyes and relaxed into the pillow, his hand continuing to stroke through the fur of his new pet. He'd always wanted a dog, but most times couldn't afford to feed and shelter himself, let alone an animal. Peso was different. A man needed a horse to survive and to get around, as well as it being company. But a dog always seemed like an extravagance to him. Now, it was different. Here in Four Corners, he had a regular job, regular meals, regular pay and a family. He knew that even if he couldn't take care of Baker for some reason, his family and friends would take care of both of them.

Smiling at the sensation of Ezra's fingers petting his hair, in much the same way that he was petting Baker, Vin slid into sleep.

TBC


	15. Chapter 15

Chris was standing out the front of the saloon so early that Inez hadn't even opened up the doors yet. The recurring nightmare of the night his family died had woken him in a panic and he couldn't stand to be alone in his room any longer. Hoping that Vin would be up, he'd come to the saloon, but it was too early even for the tracker. Gazing up at the gambler's window, the gunslinger remembered wistfully when Ezra had comforted him in the jail, wondering if he dared go to the southerner to talk further. Dealing with his memories and emotions was hard for him, going against everything his father had instilled in him as well as what society expected from a man. But he recognised that the incident that resulted in him being thrown into jail and the subsequent happenings had helped a lot. He didn't have so much trouble sleeping anymore and the black moods had lessened significantly, along with his craving for alcohol. But he still didn't like appearing weak in front of the others.

A wry smile twisted his lips as he imagined the looks on his younger brothers' faces if they were to wake up and find that he'd climbed into their bed in search of comfort. Thankfully Buck had gone back to Molly for comfort again, so he wouldn't have to compete with the big dog who had a tendency to sprawl all over a bed. Given his six foot two height, Buck had an impressive armspan and long legs. Most beds were too short for him anyway, so unless you were short and willing to snuggle, there was no room for anyone else in Buck's bed. The smile grew as Chris considered the logistics of fitting himself into the warm, feather bed with his two younger and slightly shorter brothers. It could certainly be done, provided no-one was too prissy about their personal space. Huffing a laugh, he remembered some of the protests that his sisters used to make when the three of them were forced to share a bed due to visiting relatives. Beth always complained about Mabel's cold feet, so Mabel would whine about Beth's snoring. As the only boy, Chris was relegated to the outside of the bed and had to contend with a squirming, kicking, fidgety Mabel. Damn girl, talked in her sleep too. JD actually reminded him of a young Mabel.

Sighing as a wave of homesickness hit him, Chris realised that it was the first time he'd thought about his original family in years. Deciding to write a letter to his mother after breakfast, he turned to survey the quiet town. Ma lived with Beth now, since his Pa's stroke, so he could update the two of them on his new life in Four Corners. No doubt they'd pass the news onto Mabel. Hell, he might even send a parcel with a few Christmas gifts. Nothing fancy, of course, but something for the little ones. He was pretty sure that Beth must have at least four kids by now and Mabel had been pregnant with her second when last he'd heard from his Ma.

Chewing his unlit cheroot, he pondered on the wisdom of reinitiating contact with his family. They were safe from retribution whilst they thought him dead, or so far into a drunk that he may as well be. If they started sending mail back and forth, someone might catch on to the fact that they were kin to the infamous Chris Larabee. The last thing he wanted was for someone to use them as pawns in some sick game of revenge. Then there was that bitch, Ella, who was still out there somewhere. Lord, he was grateful that he'd never mentioned his mother or sisters to Ella.

Looking over to the jail, Chris saw that the light was glowing through the glass to show that someone was on duty there. Remembering that it was Josiah, Chris ambled over to the jail, knowing that the big man would have hot coffee brewing and hoping that some of Mrs Potter's cookies were still available. Given Josiah's liking for them, the chance was slim but hope sprung eternal.

As he passed the MacPhail Building, Chris was surprised by the most delectable smell floating through the air towards him. Curious, he checked the front door of the bakery but found it locked. Quietly, he walked down the side alley to the back door and tried that but found it locked also. Putting an ear to the door, he heard the faint sounds of activity so tentatively knocked.

"Why, Mr Larabee? What are ya'll doin' at my back door so early in the morn'n?"

A gust of warm, fragrant air washed over the gunslinger as the back door swung open to reveal Miss Adelia wearing a voluminous, pure white apron and holding a large, sharp kitchen knife. Closing his eyes briefly, Chris found himself back in an Indiana kitchen with his mother humming in the background and his grandmother fussing over how skinny he was, offering him some oatmeal cookies still warm from the oven. Opening his eyes, he just gazed at the woman in front of him and saw her eyes soften as she smiled gently at him.

The knock at the door had startled Adelia as she bustled around her kitchen making some of the cinnamon rolls that her Ezra loved. Needing to start experimenting with the amounts in her recipes, in order to start making things in bulk for the store, she decided to triple the amounts and make enough for Ezra's scruffy friends too. They all looked like they needed a woman's caring touch and lots of good meals. Why that nice young Mr Vin was all hair and gristle. Heeding Ezra's warning, she picked up a nice, big knife and made her way to the door with the lantern. Hanging the lantern on the hook by the back door, Adelia swung the door open swiftly in the hope of surprising the person on the other side. She was stunned to see the black clad gunslinger revealed by the lamplight, looking just as surprised as she felt. Watching him close his eyes, obviously remembering something that made a tiny smile play around his lips before he opened those piercing hazel eyes to show a vulnerability that she was sure few had seen. Heart melting, she stepped away from the door in invitation, closing it after he'd ghosted past her.

Stepping into the warmth of the kitchen, Chris hastily removed his hat and stood awkwardly awaiting further instructions, running his hand through his thick, unruly hair. Breathing in deeply, he relished the smell of fresh coffee and baked goods and grimaced when his stomach rumbled loudly, making his hostess chuckle warmly.

"Well, sit your bony butt in a chair, boy. Give me your hat and coat first and I'll hang them up for you," ordered Adelia, now certain that the somber man was just another lost soul like her Ezra and in need of the same loving scolding she gave the southerner. Coming back from hanging up the hat and coat, she saw Chris looking wistfully at the first batch of rolls as he perched nervously on one of her new kitchen chairs. Chuckling, she hurried to fill a mug with coffee then put one of the enormous, sticky confections on a plate and brought them over to the table. Setting them in front of her first guest, she put a hand on Chris' shoulder and said lovingly, "You need some fattening up, Mr Chris. I can feel your bones through this shirt. My Ezra loves these rolls and will probably be upset that you're getting a taste of them afore him, but that's what happens to those who lay abed half the day the way he does. Now, if you're wanting milk or sugar for that coffee, you let me know."

"Yes ma'am. Thank you, I'm fine with my coffee black," answered Chris, tucking into his unexpected breakfast. Closing his eyes again, he hummed with delight at the first taste. Wondering if the woman knew how to make oatmeal cookies, he knew that if she had them in the new bakery, he'd be lining up with everyone else. Forgetting all about his nightmare, he soaked up the cosy atmosphere and lost himself in happy memories.

Giving the broad shoulder a last rub and then smoothing her hand over his hair in a motherly fashion, Adelia went back to her baking, leaving the quiet man to his ruminations.

For the second time that night, Ezra was woken by a cold nose poked rudely in his ear. This time, following by a whining nose that prompted him to turn over and eye the creature that had disturbed his slumber again. The pup sat and looked at him with what could only be described as an anxious look. Sliding his gaze over to the still blissfully sleeping tracker, Ezra rolled his eyes and got out of bed, reaching back to gather the pup under one arm. Grabbing his Remington - being loathe to be found unarmed - Ezra stomped his feet into his boots and left the room, muttering, "You're HIS dawg, why am I the one being inconvenienced at this ludicrously early hour?"

Ignoring Inez's open mouthed astonishment at his attire, early appearance and unlikely companion, Ezra made it outside just in time. As soon as the pup hit the dirt, Baker immediately squatted to relieve himself. Stretched and shivering in the cold morning air, Ezra yawned mightily and waited on the pup. Taking the little animal under his arm again, the gambler kicked some dirt over the puddle and walked over to the outhouse to relieve himself. It was an awkward manoevre, given the gun in one hand and the dog under the same arm, but he was nothing if not determined. Whistling jauntily, he nodded to Inez on the way back through the kitchen and continued on through to the bar and up the stairs, leaving the pretty woman's questions unanswered.

Deciding that the morning air had woken him to the point where returning to his bed would be pointless, Ezra hastily dressed and completed his morning ablutions quietly. Mildly worried that his young brother hadn't woken with all the activity, he catfooted to the bed and laid a gentle hand on the Texan's stubbled cheek. Not detecting a fever, Ezra withdrew and concluded that the man was just exhausted and needed the sleep. Taking up his current novel, Ezra settled into the rocking chair near the freshly stoked stove heater and waited for Vin to awaken. There was no way he would leave the tracker asleep and unaware, thinking that he was being guarded when he wasn't.

Baker sniffed his way around his new home eagerly. Coming across Vin's jacket, the pup sniffed and nuzzled it all over before he started nudging and pawing at a particular spot, whining slightly. Finally, the pup disappeared into the pile of buckskin completely only to emerge a few seconds later, his brushy little tail wagging frantically as he backed out.

Ezra's attention had been drawn by the whining in the otherwise quiet room. Leaning his chin on his hand with his elbow propped up on the arm of the chair, he sat watching the pup fuss over the coat, thinking that the animal was attracted to the scent and was looking for somewhere to sleep. A sudden laugh erupted from him before he covered his mouth. For Baker had wriggled his way out from under the coat, dragging a piece of Vin's precious jerky after him.

Quite pleased with his find, Baker settled down on top of the coat and proceeded to gnaw on the dried meat with his sharp little puppy teeth, making tiny growly puppy noises as he tried to devour his kill.

Chuckling, Ezra murmured, "Well, that solves the problem of whether you're old enough to be away from your mother, doesn't it? Little rascal."

A half hour later and Vin finally began to stir. It was still very early and he'd not gotten nearly enough sleep the night before, but it went against his nature to sleep whilst the sun was up. Rolling over with a groan, he threw back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed, sitting slumped and rubbing his eyes wearily.

"You should go back to sleep, Vin. It's still early," advised the gambler, watching the tracker struggle to stay upright and awake with fond amusement.

"Naaaaw. I's awake now. Best get on wi' tha day," grumbled the Texan, groping around on the floor for his pants and standing up to put them on when they were found. Stopping as he was tying up the drawstring, his head jerked up and Vin looked back at the bed. "Where's Baker?"

"Right over there on that poor excuse for a garment that you call a coat," answered Ezra casually, putting his book aside as he watched the now wide awake Texan scold his new pet.

"Dammit Baker, that was ma last piece. Ain't even sure you's supposed ta be eating meat yet. Well, iffun ya get a belly ache, don't come howling ta me," chided Vin, trying to take the jerky off his dog but being met with fierce resistence. Tiny jaws clamped onto the meat, as ferocious puppy growls emanated from deep within his furry chest. Finally, Vin gave up, sitting cross-legged on the floor and glaring at first the dog and then the chortling southerner. "You's no help a'tall, Ez. Why'd ya let Baker get hold o' the jerky in the first place?"

Wiping tears from his eyes, Ezra retorted, "What! I took YOUR pet outside to relieve himself at the break of dawn this mornin', so he that he wouldn't wet mah bed. A bed, I might add, that I never invited that little creature into in the first place. Which meant that instead of still being cosily slumbering in my mah warm, feather bed, I am condemned to an early start to the day. As for the jerky being harmful to the pup, it doesn't look like it's doin' him any harm and pups need something to chew on to develop their teeth and jaws."

Having looked down at the subtle chastisement, Vin peered up at the gambler through his eyelashes and protested weakly, "But it might swell in the little fella's belly n' make him sick, Ez."

"Good lord," groaned Ezra, powerless against the eyes again. Getting up from his comfortable chair, he walked over to squat behind the pup and tapped him sharply on the side. As soon as the dog dropped the jerky to turn and see what had hit him, the gambler's other hand snatched the jerky away. Handing it over to the tracker, Ezra frowned and said, "I'd better not see you chewing on this later. Give it to Yosemite's mutt. Damn dog is part goat, given the things I've seen him consume. As for Baker, you will need to get him a strip of rawhide or something to chew, else he'll turn to the furnishings or our boots."

Grinning happily, now petting his disappointed pup consolingly, Vin nodded and murmured, "Thanks, Ez. Reckon you've had a few pet dogs in yer day."

"I've only ever had two of my own dogs, Vin," replied Ezra, straightening up and beginning to gather Vin's clothes from where the Texan had disgarded them haphazardly the night before. Shaking them and laying them out on the rocker, he then proceeded to remake the bed. "My first dog was called Ace and he was a stray I'd picked up somewhere on my travels. Of course, the minute Mother laid eyes on the poor little thing, he was out the door. I found him the next morning , huddled on our doorstep and arranged for a local child to take him in. The other dog was mine only whilst I stayed with Uncle Stanley. Bonnie was a beautiful animal with a sleek, glossy coat that I would spend hours brushing. Uncle Stanley bought her for me, but Maude refused to take Bonnie when she came to collect me, so my uncle kept her and always wrote me with updates on her and her adventures. How many of the adventures were true I wouldn't hazard a guess, but they made me feel better."

"I'm sorry, Ez. Didn't mean ta prod hurtful places," whispered Vin, holding his own pup close despite the way Baker was squirming and trying to bite his hands.

Startled by the mournful tone, Ezra looked up and replied, "It's fine, Vin. It was all a long time ago. I've been around other people's dogs, cats, horses, cows, rabbits, goats and even some ferrets in my life, so it's not like I was starved for contact with animals. In fact, I even stayed with one old woman who had a pet raccoon."

"A 'coon? They ain't pets, they's a pest," protested the tracker, who'd had a number of run ins with raccoons stealing things from his pack, or fish from his stringlines.

"On the contrary, Rastus was a highly intelligent and loving pet," contradicted the gambler, sitting on the newly made bed and gazing down at the tracker who remained sitting on the floor barefoot and bare chested. "It was highly entertainin' to give Rastus bits of food and watch him wash it in a bowl of water on the floor before he would eat it. His little hands were very much like a humans, so I always found his eating habits fascinating."

"Knew someone who had a pet fox once. It was a cute little thing," offered Vin, not mentioning that the person treated that pet fox better than he'd treated the small boy he'd taken in as free labour. Unsurprised that the gambler saw between the lines, Vin took the offered hand and hauled himself to his feet after putting Baker down on the floor and gathering his coat. The pup instantly returned to the spot where Vin's coat had been and sniffed the ground vigorously in search of his missing meal. "Guess I'd better finish getting dressed and go find some milk for Baker."

"Honestly, Vin, I think Baker is too old for just milk. Judging by how he went after that jerky, he's used to meat now. If he's the pup of a wild dog, then the mother will have been regurgitating food for it. I'd suggest we get some cooked meat off Inez and cut it up into tiny bits, mix it with some cooked vegetables, coat it in gravy and give him that," advised the gambler, going to his cupboard and rummaging around inside it for a while. "Aha! I knew this would come in useful some day."

Turning to the tracker, he offered a long line of thick twine. When he received a puzzled look in exchange, Ezra huffed impatiently and explained, "You can't carry the pup around all day, Vin. Baker needs exercise. But you can't let him loose or you'll spend you whole day chasing after him. I suspect from the story of your meeting that he will follow you willingly, but just in case, you should tie the twine around his neck and use it as a lead rope."

"His neck! What if he chokes? Don't seem kind a'tall, Ez," protested Vin, his face a picture of horror.

Rolling his eyes, Ezra squatted and clicked his fingers to the happily exploring pup. When Baker looked up inquiringly, with bright, blown eyes and a tilted head, Ezra patted the floor and called his name. Trotting over obligingly, his tiny claws clicking on the wood floor board, Baker stopped in front of Ezra and yipped happily when he was rewarded with a vigorous fur ruffling. Rolling over onto his belly, the pup begged for a rub and was ecstatic to receive one.

"Now, look here, Vin. We'll make a harness to go around his chest. It will probably break if Baker tries too hard to get away, but he seems like an amiable little fellow. We can ask Tiny to make him a leather collar, if you like, and a proper lead. Just until he's learned to heel on command. It won't take long," said Ezra, hastily creating the halter and putting it Baker before either the dog or the tracker could protest.

Standing up, Ezra handed the end of the twine to the Texan and told him, "There you go. He doesn't even know it's there unless you pull on it. Now let's go and get some breakfast, shall we? I suspect that if we go over to Miss Adelia's, we may be lucky enough to get some home cooking."

Grinning happily, Vin nodded in agreement and they left the room with an eager brown bundle of fur at their heels.

TBC


	16. Chapter 16

Having taken a short sidetrip to throw the jerky to Yosemite's guard dog, Brutus, who swallowed the strip whole and then proceeded to make Vin very nervous by flipping Baker over and nuzzling the pup all over. Ezra just chuckled and held Vin back, pointing out that Brutus was about as dangerous as his owner when it came to the young, which was to say not at all. Both Yosemite and Brutus looked big and mean, but they were both big softies unless you threatened what was theirs. Baker hardly constituted a threat just yet, despite the way he'd raised his hackles at Brutus' approach. Now the two of them were best friends and were playing happily.

"The pup needs to be socialised with other animals, Vin, or he'll be of no use to himself or anyone else. Now call him in, so we can get going," instructed the southerner, rubbing his stomach as it rumbled with emptiness.

Calling Baker yielded no results as the dog was too busy playing to heed his new master. Acting on his brother's advice, Vin called again in a firm voice and pulled on the twine gently. This caught the dog's attention, so Vin called a third time and copied the gesture that Ezra showed him and was rewarded by the return of his pup. Bending down to give the little animal praise and pats, Vin grinned goofily.

Watching the tracker with his dog, Ezra was struck again by how young the Texan really was and how hard a life he'd lived. It just wasn't fair for someone with such a kind and loving heart to have been deprived of something as simple as a pet. He vowed to ensure that Baker lived to be an obedient, loving pet for a long, long time.

"Come on, Vin, let's go look pitiful at Miss Adelia's door and see if we can get some breakfast," urged the southerner, stepping out with a brisk step and trusting Vin to follow, "Unlike Inez, she will not mind having Baker in the kitchen with us provided he behaves himself. We often had Emmaline's cat sitting under the table, waiting to pounce on scraps thrown down by our babies."

"Reckon, your kids weren't the only ones feeding that cat, Ez."

Arching an eyebrow as he glanced at Vin's grinning face, Ezra gave the tracker's shoulder a light shove and grinned back at him, drawling, "Well, you're right, of course. My Emmaline was always feeding that damn cat under the table too."

Head tilted back, Vin laughed out laugh, completely overcome with the joyful turn his life had taken. He couldn't ever remember being as happy as he was at this moment. Slapping his brother on the shoulder, he challenged, "Race ya!"

Taken aback, it took Ezra a moment to realise what had happened but then he laughed and sprinted after the tracker and his barking pup.

A few moments later, Vin and Ezra were brushing themselves down and about to knock on the back door, when it opened to reveal Miss MacGregor. Smiling and tipping their hats to the women who was clearly making for the privy out back, they entered the back porch area and knocked on Miss Adelia's door.

"Wondered just how long it would be 'fore y'all made your way to my back door, Mr Ezra. See ya brought friends too. Just as well I made a triple batch of my rolls, ain't it? Now, c'mon in, no need to be shy," fussed the kindly woman, winking at Ezra as Vin sidled past with his dog under one arm and his hat in the other hand. Picking up two covered baskets, Adelia shoved them in Ezra's hands as soon as he'd hung his hat up and ordered, "These here are for Miss MacGregor and the Doc. You just run along and deliver them and I'll have some coffee waiting on you when you get back. Quick now, while they's still warm!"

"Yes'm," mumbled Ezra, scurrying out to do as he was told, grumbling under his breath about being little more than a messenger boy. Vin and Chris smiled toothily at the gambler's back.

"Hope ya left some o' them tasty looking rolls fer me n' Ez, Cowboy," teased Vin, standing next to the slightly embarrassed gunslinger. Looking closely, he saw the tightness around Chris' eyes that indicated a disturbed night's sleep and the lingering pain of the nightmare. Putting his hand on the black clad shoulder of his troubled older brother, he squeezed it gently in comfort, knowing full well that the past had a way of tormenting folk in the night.

"Mighta left one or two," agreed Chris gruffly, speaking around the lump in his throat, knowing that his perceptive younger brother had seen his upset. Wiping his mouth free of any lingering sugar and cinnamon, he glanced up at the Texan. Cocking an eyebrow in subdued surprise, he asked, "What have you got there, Cowboy?"

Proudly holding his pup up for view, Vin announced, "This here's ma new dog, Baker. Ain't he a beauty?"

Looking at the scrawny ball of hair and gristle, Chris grinned at the similarites between dog and owner. The pup was part wolf, part terrier and pure Tanner by the look of him. Judging by the size of his feet, the pup would grow into a large dog eventually if given sufficient exercise and nourishment. Given his new owner's proclivity for roaming and eating, Chris was sure that the pup would end up the size of a small pony. When Baker fixed him with bright, inquisitive eyes, the gunslinger couldn't help the snort of laughter, which blossomed to a full chuckle when both pup and owner cocked their head questioningly at him.

"Baker, meet ya Uncle Chris. Now don't be put off by his snarlin', he's like Brutus... bark's worsen 'is bite," introduced Vin playfully, holding his pet closer to his brother expecting the older man to admire his dog.

Rolling his eyes, Chris indulged the tracker's mischievous side and took hold of one of the pup's front paws, shaking it solemnly and saying, "Pleased to meet ya, Baker. Hope you're less trouble than your Pa."

Baker yipped happily, glad of the attention, and proceeded to wriggle vigorously and lick Chris' hand enthusiastically. Grimacing, Chris withdrew his hand and wiped the puppy slobber on his trouser leg.

Smiling at the two men's play, Adelia came bustling over with plates and mugs, setting them on the table and urging, "Set that animal down, now. I'll find him some breakfast in a minute. You just set yourself down and I'll have ya fixed up in no time, boy."

"Yes'm," murmured Vin, giving Baker a ruffle before putting the little animal down on the floor and sitting beside Chris. Rubbing his hands up and down his thighs to remove any dog hair, he looked up with an angelic smile as the kindly woman came back to the table with a plate of warm cinnamon rolls and a pot of coffee. "Smells mighty fine, ma'am. Thank ya fer having us in."

"Lord save us, if you ain't the sweetest angel, Mr Vin. Now you just tuck in and enjoy your food. There's plenty there and I can always cook more. Mr Ezra has stocked this here kitchen with every blessed thing I could ever possibly want or need and enough provisions to feed the whole of the south. I'm going to be very happy here, I just know it," declared Adelia, running her work worn hand over the long silky hair of the Texan affectionately. She'd never been able to have children with her mister, God rest his dear soul, but she'd always been the motherly sort. Having Ezra back in her life, along with his newly adopted family, was just the thing she needed to see her through to her time of passing. Who knew, they might just take it into their heads to marry and have some babies for her to spoil. Grinning at the thought, Adelia moved away from the men.

Reaching for a roll and ignoring the smirk that has blossomed on Chris' face at Miss Adelia's comments, Vin asked, "How did ya meet Ezra, Miss Adelia? Know ya worked fer him n' Miz Emmaline, but did ya know him before that?"

Pouring out coffee into all the cups on the table, Miss Adelia went back to the stove with a sober look on her normally cheerful face. Turning at the cool breeze and smiling again as Ezra made his way back in, she bustled over and took his coat before guiding him to a chair and pushing his coffee towards him.

"How did I meet Mr Ezra? Well, that's a tale and no mistake," declared Adelia, her smile turning smug as she saw Ezra turn red and try to swallow the large bite of cinnamon roll he'd just greedily taken. "We met twice 'fore he came to hire me on to look after his sweet Miz Emmaline and them dear little angels, God rest their souls. First off was at his Uncle Gordon's estate down near Natchez…"

"Gordon Pritchard was no blood relation of mine. Just one of many acquaintances of Maude's who agreed to take me in to work off a poker debt," interjected Ezra firmly, pushing the half eaten roll away as he suddenly lost his appetite.

"No, he weren't blood kin, but you called him Uncle nonetheless. He was a harsh master and a cruel man to be sure. Weren't a soul on that plantation that hadn't had a taste of his whip, including young Ezra. Poor boy was made to sleep in the barn with the hogs and hooowhee did he smell bad. That evil man worked us all like dogs and Ezra weren't no different. The boy would come down to us after dark sometimes, hovering on the doorstep and refusing to come in 'cos of the way he smelled and the rags he wore. Said he was happy to just sit and listen to us sing and talk. Poor mite was lonely and hurting but still didn't want to be a burden to no-one. Hell, smell weren't nothing we weren't used to, but he was a little gentleman even then," prattled Adelia, as she scrambled eggs and fried bacon, oblivious to Ezra's discomfort. Putting a small dish of eggs to the side to cool, she carried over the bulk of the food to put on the table. Turning away, she went to carve up some of her freshly baked bread.

Chris and Vin looked at Ezra with growing concern and sympathy. The gambler looked like he was about ready to cry as the memory of those days washed over him. All the pain and humiliation roared back and he cringed in his chair. Chris, who was closest, put his hand on Ezra's forearm and gave it a comforting squeeze. Ezra gave a small, sad smile at the gesture but didn't lift his eyes.

Putting the now cool plate of eggs and cut up bacon down for Baker, Adelia came over with the bread and a crock of butter, continuing, "I brought him out a bucket of water and some rags to clean up some, then tended to the hurts he had. He agreed to take a few morsels of food from us, but that was all. Ended up skittering back to that damn barn, afraid that masser would check to see if he'd gone. Didn't want to get us into any trouble, bless his heart. Then one day the masser took his whip to a young girl, no more'n eight years old, I reckon. She'd done somethin' wrong up the big house, like dropping a dish she was washin' or some such. Happened a lot to the new girls when they was a bundle o' nerves at being in the big house. Masser didn't get more'n the one lash in before young Mr Ezra came flying out o' the barn and laid his tiny self across that girl's back. Masser didn't care. Hateful man just kept striking that boy until his back bled. One of the overseer's called out that he'd kill the boy iffun he didn't stop and I reckon he mighta just done it anyway, 'cept the Missus called to Masser to come to his lunch."

Vin had moved over to the chair beside Ezra and put his arm around the shaking shoulders. They'd all seen the scars on the gambler's back, now faded silver and ribbon thin, but none had known how he got them.

The grip Chris had taken on Ezra's forearm had tightened as the story was told and the dark clad man's fury increased. Picturing a young, thin Ezra, filthy with animal muck, throwing himself on a girl to protect her from a mad man was remarkably easy to do. The gambler had a heart of gold and a loving nature that had survived despite his mother's interference. Clearing his throat roughly, Chris growled, "How old were you, Ez? And is this Gordon Pritchard dead?"

Seeing that Ezra couldn't or wouldn't answer, Adelia walked over to stand behind him and put her hands on his bowed head as she said, "Mr Ezra weren't but six years old at the time. And the Masser got his comeuppance alright. Weren't by the hand of man but by the wrath of God himself. Man got some sort o' disease that made him waste away, always in constant pain and torment. Couldn't eat nor drink towards the end. Just lay in his bed all on his own, gasping for his last breath. His chillun was only interested in their inheritence and his missus had long since died o' a bad heart. After his passing, I was sold on but not 'fore I spat on that old bastard's grave, I can tell you."

"What happened to you, Ez? After the whipping, I mean," asked Vin, tears in his blue eyes as he absent-mindedly stroked his brother's quivering shoulder.

Sensing something was amiss, Baker crept over and sat on his owner's boots.

Swallowing painfully, Ezra whispered, "I was taken in by Sally's mother, Hettie. Sally was the little girl being whipped by that animal, Gordon. Hettie bathed me, doctored my back and nursed me back to health. I nearly died from fever twice. By the time I was recovered, Maude had sent word to Mrs Pritchard telling her to put me on the stage to my Aunt Grace's place in Monroe. Aunt Grace loved me and tended to me for months as I went through nightmares and recurring fevers. She taught me to bake and how to play piano. We used to read together and play in the garden with her dogs, Pepper and Ginger. Some of the best months of my life…"

The food had cooled whilst the story had unfolded and no-one really felt like eating now anyway. Tutting, Adelia bent to give a kiss of apology to Ezra's shining auburn hair, so different to the curls she remembered. Then she set about putting the food away, thinking on ways to bring a smile back to her Ezra's face.

"I sometimes wonder if Mother didn't send me there deliberately. If perhaps she knew that I'd been mistreated by Pritchard and would need someone kind. Grace was a true relative, my mother's older half-sister. Maude was raised by Grace after their mother died. Maude's father had no use for either girl. When I was born, he tried to take me from Maude to raise in his image as his heir, but Maude ran. I doubt it was from any maternal protective urge, rather it was a way to strike back at the man who'd never wanted her," rambled Ezra, nervously shredding the remains of his cinnamon roll. "Either way, we ran and kept running for the rest of our lives."

"Yer ain't running no more, Ez. Yer ours now and we ain't gonna let no-one hurt ya no more," declared Vin, squeezing the gambler tight.

"Damn right," agreed Chris, patting the arm that was still in his grip.

"You got yourself a right fine family of brothers here, Mr Ezra. Now, enough of this fretting on the past. I'm sorry I brought it up again. Why don't all ya'll take the rest of these rolls out to your friends and leave me to get on with my baking. I'm a foolish old woman for getting you all upset," fretted Adelia, bringing a large woven basket to the table, covered in a checkered clothe.

Standing up, Ezra walked over and threw his arms as far around Adelia as he could and gave her a squeeze that made her giggle like a girl. Once he was standing straight again, Ezra gave the blushing woman a kiss on the forehead and declared, "I am so glad that you're here, Miss Adelia. It's good to have someone around who knows my history, both the good and the bad. The past is the past and it can't hurt me now. We'll leave you to your baking and look forward to the results later."

With that and thanks for the interrupted breakfast, the three men drew their coats on and made for the jail, the basket swinging between Ezra and Vin who each had a hold of the handle.

TBC


	17. Chapter 17

Buck looked up as the Saloon doors swung open and felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. The man who'd just entered was a stranger in town, which wasn't an unheard of occurrence but he had a look of danger about him which was unusual. Tuning out JD's prattle, Buck studied the stranger intensely as the new man surveyed the saloon. Just the fact that he was taking the time to let his eyes adjust to the dimmer light before scanning everyone in the room marked him as someone accustomed to danger. Otherwise, he was fairly nondescript, with brown hair, tanned skin, brown eyes, average height and weight, and wearing a well used gun on his hip. Buck was willing to bet that the six shooter was just the tip of this stranger's armaments.

Not seeing the man he was looking for, the stranger fixed his gaze on the mustached man who had been staring at him ever since he entered. Recognising him, the stranger made his way over to where Buck sat and tipped his hat, asking, "I'm looking for Mr Ezra P Standish and wondered if you could tell me his whereabouts."

Alarmed at the thought that this worrisome stranger was after his friend, Buck bristled and growled, "Who's looking for him?"

JD had stopped speaking once he realised that he'd lost Buck's attention, looking around to see what pretty woman had captured the big man's eye. Instead, he saw a lean, tall man dressed in a quality brown suit and green waistcoat silouetted by the light coming in the doors. Blinking, he watched as the man made his way to their table. Buck's unusual display of hostility surprised him and he turned to gape at his best friend with shock.

A smirk lifted the stranger's lip, amused at the protectiveness of the cowboy, and he removed his hat slowly before replying, "How rude of me, Mr Wilmington. My name is Byron S Merriweather and I am a long time friend of your Mr Standish. I believe he may be expecting me."

Lifting his eyebrow in an unconscious imitation of their gambler, Buck reached over to shake the offered hand cautiously, noting the firm grip with approval. Somehow, it didn't surprise him to learn that Ezra had dangerous men as friends, other than the six he had in Four Corners. Just as he was about to tell Byron that he hadn't a clue where Ezra was, the man himself entered the saloon.

Josiah, Vin, Chris and Ezra had decided to bring the cinnamon rolls over to the saloon and share them with Buck and JD, knowing that they'd be there waiting for everyone else to turn up for breakfast. Josiah had taken one to eat on the way, just to ensure that he did indeed get one, knowing the voracious appetites of the dynamic duo. Nathan had been called out in the night, but Ezra had assured the ex-preacher that there would be more rolls to be had for the asking, so the healer wouldn't miss out.

Chris and Vin pushed through the doors first, their eyes habitually sweeping the room for any potential hazards. Each stopped at the sight of the stranger standing next to Buck, their hackles raising in response to the air of suppressed violence that surrounded the man. Glancing towards the black clad, blond beside him, Vin couldn't help thinking that it was the same menacing aura that his brother projected so naturally.

"Oomph!"

"Sorry, brother Chris, but you did stop rather abruptly," apologised Josiah, his hands shooting out to prevent the gunslinger from falling face down by catching him around his slim hips. Chris straightened awkwardly and turned to glare at Josiah, who hastily snatched his hands back and held them up in a gesture of surrender, smiling innocently.

Vin and Ezra were involved in their own dance, with the gambler catching the tracker around the waist after colliding with the suddenly stationary man, both of them spinning a little at being caught off centre. Baker yipped and gambled around their feet, tangling his twine lead around their legs and thereby enhancing the possibility of both men falling in a pile atop the blissfully ignorant pup. The basket with the remaining rolls dangled from Ezra's hand, threatening to spill its contents.

Everyone in the saloon turned and stared at the spectacle. Then suddenly, Byron burst into unrestrained laughter, his guffaws booming across the room. All heads swivelled to stare at the formally sombre man, amazed that such a joyous noise could have come out of such a dangerous looking man.

A screech came from Inez, who was hurrying across the saloon with her broom in her hand and a wild look in her eyes. A flood of Spanish preceded her, which made Vin scoop up his puppy and Ezra move to stand in front of them protectively.

"He ain't got no fleas, Miz Inez! He's as clean 's you or me," protested the tracker indignantly, eyeing the raised broom apprehensively when Inez went red at his statement and raised the broom threateningly.

"I will not have animals in the saloon, senor. You can leave that … that… perro sarnosa outside on the porch…"

"Inez, as the owner of this establishment, I am giving Vin leave to have his dog in here with him. ONLY Vin will be accorded this privilege. There will be no other animals… aside from the two legged, paying variety… allowed inside. I can assure you that Vin will clean up any indiscretions that his pup may have, unlikely as that occurrence may be, and you will not be inconvenienced in any way," soothed Ezra, moving to intercept the upraised broom and guide the incensed woman away from the tracker and his pet.

"First it is one small dog, then it will be that scruffy cat I see you feeding out the back at night – do not deny it, Senor, I have seen you with my own eyes. Before I know it you will have Chaucer in here! Aiee! Do as you like, senor, as you say it is your saloon. BUT," growled Inez, whirling in Erza's arms to poke the gambler hard in the chest, "I will NOT be cleaning up, feeding, or caring for these … these creatures. Comprende?"

"Of course, my dear. I assure you that none of us ever even entertained the idea," crooned Ezra, oozing sincerity and giving the furious woman his most charming smile.

Huffing, Inez snatched her broom back off Ezra and stormed back into the kitchen, muttering under her breath ominously. Ezra, ran his thumb over his lower lip and smiled nostalgically as he remembered fighting with his Emmaline, then shook his head slightly and followed Inez.

Vin had sidled in and made his way to where Buck was, making sure that he kept Chris between Inez and himself with Baker safely tucked away inside his coat. Chris chuckled and shook his head, but made sure to keep an eye on the irate bar manageress too. Josiah followed after them, chuckling deep down in his chest at the antics of his friends and thanking God that he'd found a place amongst this very odd bunch.

JD had pounced on Vin and demanded to know all about his new pup, trying to pry Vin's coat away to get a good look at the little creature. At the moment, all he could see was a pair of gleaming eyes staring back at him from the shadows.

Having safely delivered a slightly less aggravated Inez to the kitchen, with a request for coffee and the bribe of a cinnamon roll to sweeten the grumbling woman up, Ezra turned back towards his friends. It was only then that he noticed Byron, who was still standing beside Buck and waiting to be recognised by his old friend.

"Byron? Is that you? Good lawd, man, you've turned into quite the respectable gentleman," queried Ezra, walking forward quickly with an outstretched hand. "Last I saw you, you were still wearing that ragged Union blue uniform."

Meeting him halfway, Bryon grasped Ezra's hand and used his other arm to pull the shorter man into a fond hug, saying, "Ezra, you little rebel bastard, how the hell are you?"

Throwing his free arm around his friend's waist, Ezra squeezed him affectionately before stepping back to grab his shoulders and give him a more thorough examination. Finding his friend fit and healthy, he slapped the left shoulder and exclaimed, "Damn, it's good to see you. But what are you doing here? I thought we'd agreed that you'd send your findings via express rider."

Chris cleared his throat meaningfully, causing Ezra to look up and then become flustered at his own rudeness.

"Where are my manners? Boys, this is my dear old friend, Mr Byron S Merriweather. Byron, these are some of the best men you'll ever meet – Chris Larabee, Vin Tanner, Josiah Sanchez, Buck Wilmington and JD Dunne," replied Ezra, bouyant with happiness. The appearance of his old friend would have some very positive repercussions, he hoped. "And this fiery young woman, is my very capable bar manager, Ms Inez Rocillos."

Having nodded to all the men but JD, who'd held out a hand to shake, Bryon then took one of Inez's hands and bowed low over it, pressing a light kiss to the back. This action caused Inez to smile broadly and to make Buck growl ominously.

"If y'all will excuse us for a brief moment, I have something important to discuss with Byron privately and then we shall return," said Ezra, grabbing his old friend's sleeve and almost dragging the older man with him towards the exit.

The others looked around bemusedly, before settling down to enjoy the food and coffee in front of them. After a few moments of peaceful chewing, their breakfast was interrupting by a very loud and extremely jubilant rebel yell from out the front. Half out of their seats, with hands on guns, the men watched in amazement as Ezra ran back in waving a piece of paper in his hand.

Bryon returned in a more sedate manner, a wide smile on his face as he saw the animated southerner grab hold of the scruffy Texan and dance him around the room, much to the tracker's very vocal dismay. Eventually, after many shouts from the others demanding to know what was going on, Ezra stopped dancing around and dragged Vin back to the table.

During the commotion, Nathan had entered the saloon via the backdoor and taken a seat at the table with the others. Grinning at the sight of the basket, he grabbed a cinnamon roll and tore off a chunk to stuff into his mouth eagerly, letting it dissolve on his tongue as he rolled his eyes and hummed in bliss. Swallowing, he hastily stuffed a second mouthful in, whilst reaching for a second roll before the others could cheat him.

Giving Vin a final excited hug before letting him go, Ezra waved his hands for silence and announced, "I didn't tell all y'all what Byron does for a living. We meet during the late unpleasantness, when he'd been injured and I helped him to safety…"

"By that, he means that he carried my unconscious body over four miles to a field hospital, despite being wounded himself. Without him, I'd have died that day," interjected Byron, "And I was a Union officer, so you can imagine the reception he got from the field hospital, being dressed in his Confederate grey. Fortunately, he's used to escaping from angry mobs and managed to avoid being sent to a prison camp, by picking the lock on his manacles and crawling out under the back of the hospital tent in the dead of night."

Blushing as his brothers all nodding their acceptance of his heroics and subsequent escape in a manner of men who expected to hear nothing less, Ezra continued after clearing his throat, "Ahem, well, that aside, I've kept in contact with Byron and followed his progress after the army. He's now a very valuable member of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency."

"You're a Pink?"

Byron winked at JD's incredulous exclamation and declared, "Card carrying."

"I asked Byron if he could investigate a few matters for me and he kindly agreed," said Ezra, smiling gratefully at his friend, his emerald eyes still twinkling with joy. "Which is why he is here now. To report his findings to me. To us."

Seeing that Ezra was practically quivering with excitement, Vin reached out a hand to steady his brother and urged, "Breathe, Ez. Yer gonna pass out."

Shifting uncomfortably, Chris frowned and asked, "What matters did you need investigating, Ez?"

Seeing that he had the attention of them all, Ezra announced, "Vin's bounty has been rescinded!"

For a second it was silent, then everyone jumped to their feet and rushed towards the southerner, all talking at once and wanting to know how he'd managed it. Vin's eyes widened and he shook his head disbelievingly once, whilst clutching the sleeve of Ezra's coat. Buck and Josiah's hearty congratulatory slaps to the back nearly sent the slender tracker to his knees and he turned his head, trying to make eye contact with Chris without losing his hold on Ezra. Finally, a piercing whistle split the air and everyone was silent as they looked at Chris.

"All of ya, shut up! Give Vin some space 'fore he falls down," ordered the Hoosier, pushing Buck out of the way so he could grip Vin by the elbow. Nodding to Ezra to grab the other arm, he led Vin over to a chair and pushed the younger man down into it. Then he scooped up the puppy that was cowering under the table and pushed him into Vin's arms.

"Ez?"

Pulling a chair up in front of Vin, Ezra winced internally at the plaintive note to Vin's query. He had been so excited that he forgot the impact that the news would have on the younger man. Chastising himself mentally, he reached out and rubbed his hand up and down Vin's arm comfortingly.

The others, Byron included, all retook their seats and waited.

"It's true, Vin. I gave Bryon all the details that you'd told me and he managed to track down two members of Eli Joe Chavez's nefarious gang and convinced them that it was in their best interest to testify to the fact that it was Eli Joe who committed the murder, rather than our long- haired tracker. He took them before the Chief Justice and the Governor of Texas, along with sworn affidavits from Judge Travis, Miz Wells and Mr Watson declaring your fine work in maintaining the law here at Four Corners, as well as attesting to your fine, honest, upstanding character," explained Ezra in his soothing, southern drawl, grinning at the seven shades of red that Vin had gone in embarrassment at the compliment. "The end result is that they both agreed that the guilty verdict and the subsequent bounty were a gross miscarriage of justice and they overturned them with immediate effect. They've sent out wires to all, through the same channels as bounties are announced, telling everyone that you… Devin James Tanner… are a free man, innocent of all charges against you."

"Well, HOT DAMN!" Buck leapt to his feet and bent Inez over backwards to kiss her senseless in celebration.

Chris grinned so wide and so brightly that he looked at least ten years younger, reaching over to squeeze Vin's shoulder. Looking at Ezra, he nodded and said, "Ya done good, Ez."

"What's more, they transferred the guilty verdict and bounty to Eli Joe posthumously. As a result, the $500 has been awarded to you, Chris, since you killed him. It will be wired to the Four Corners bank and held in your name until such time as you collect it," announced Ezra smugly.

"I's free?"

Everyone focused on Vin as he timidly plucked Ezra's coat and voiced his query.

"Yes, Vin. Free and clear. I imagine we'll have to keep an eye out for a few months yet, just until the word has gotten around to everyone, but the name of Tanner is untarnished again," assured the gambler, his keen eyes assessing Vin to see whether he needed to be taken somewhere more private. Seeing a minute trembling commence, Ezra took Baker from the tracker and put the puppy on the floor in preparation for taking Vin out to the store room for privacy.

A resounding slap was heard as Buck finally let Inez surface for air. She'd struggled intially, then seemed to relax into the kiss but once it was over and she was released her temper flared. Glaring at the scoundrel, Inez moved so that Josiah was between her and Buck. Secretly, she was thrilled by the kiss but until the mustouched man stopped seeing the other girls, he would have no success with her. Inez was not prepared to share her man and had enough pride in her own worth to hold out for a man who would hold her above all others.

"I'S FREE!"

With an almighty whoop, Vin rose to his feet and threw his arms around Ezra in a reverse of their previous dance. Then he made the rounds, announcing his freedom and bear hugging all of his friends, who heartily returned the affection. Blushing right down to his boots, he even hugged Inez.

The day was spent joyously celebrating Vin's news, with all seven of them taking a ride out to Ms Nettie's to tell her the news. The old woman cried and hugged Vin to her bosom in a way that did the hearts of all the witnesses good.

Byron had retired to his room, stating his weariness at the ride and his need to be pressing on the next day in order to get to his uncle's home in time for Christmas. But he asked Ezra to come to his room on his return from Nettie's, to reminisce.

Knocking on the door, Ezra waited for his friend to answer. Once the door opened, he held up a bottle of his best Scotch and chirped, "Nightcap?"

Grinning at the irrepressible southerner, Byron uncocked his pistol and stepped back to allow Ezra entry, saying, "Don't mind if I do. You always did have the best booze."

"Life is too short to drink bad alcohol, my friend. Now, have you had any luck on my second matter of business?"

Going to his saddle bags, Byron removed a notebook and tore a couple of pages from it. Coming back to the dresser, he accepted a glass of Scotch in return for the papers. "She was a squirrelly one to find, but I did find her."

"She remains unaware of the discovery?"

"Of course. I am a professional, Ezra."

"Excellent!"

Quickly scanning the four pages of neatly written notes, Ezra's heart sped up as he realised that this time she wouldn't get away. Holding up his glass, he proposed, "To justice and those who despense it!"

Clinking his glass to Ezra's, Byron gave his friend a wink and agreed.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for any typos or erroneous grammar, especially the terrible possessive apostrophe that my iPad insists on adding without my approval to many an 'its'. I tend to post without proof reading. Terrible, I know. Meanwhile, I'm trying to wind this story up but it just keeps on going.

Entering his darkened room feeling mildly intoxicated and content with his life, Ezra whispered an order to Baker and nudged the pup back inside with his foot. Once in, he walked unerringly to the dresser and solemly placed the sack he'd been carrying carefully on it. Running a hand over it, he wondered how Vin would react when he gave the sack to the young tracker in the morning. Bending down to pat Baker and lightly shove him in the direction of his doggy bed, Ezra grinned at the disgruntled attitude of the little pup. Biting his lip, the gambler stood and started divesting himself of his many accoutrements.

Smiling fondly in the dark, he listened to the sound of the dog making himself comfortable in his bed and the deep breathing of Vin, who had already claimed his half of the bed. Going to the wardrobe, Ezra shrugged out of his jacket and was about the hang it up when he suddenly registered the presence of a dark shadow snoring lightly in the rocking chair by the window. Kicking himself for his complacency, knowing that such carelessness could get himself and Vin killed, Ezra hastily snatched up his derringer. Staring hard at the silouette, he breathed out a sigh of relief when he recognised Chris' familiar slumped form. How many times had he woken from illness or injury to see just such a sight? Mentally chastising himself for the unnecessary panic, he reminded himself that Vin wouldn't have been sleeping so peacefully with a stranger in the room.

Even in his slightly drunken state, Ezra knew that his entrance should have woken the light sleeping gunslinger, so he catfooted over to the rocker and gently put his hand on the dark clad shoulder, giving it a slight shake.

Snorting, Chris jerked awake and squinted up at the southerner, his hand going to the gun at his hip. He and the others had put a large dent in Ezra's private stock to celebrate the Texan's newly cleared name, which had left them all the worse for wear. Nathan had heaved Josiah back to the church, fully intending to sleep on the floor in the preacher's bedroll. Buck had happily staggered out with JD draped, unconscious and snoring, over his shoulder to take the boy to his room in the boarding house, before going to find a warm woman to cuddle.

It was left to Chris to take care of Vin, since the tracker had crossed his arms on the table in front of him and settled his head them, dozing happily in the company of his friends. Having dragged the scrawny ex-bounty hunter up the stairs, stripped him to his underwear and put him to bed, Chris had collapsed in the rocker in need of a few minutes rest. Obviously those few minutes had resulted in him falling asleep and being caught by the returning southerner. Groaning, he now realised that he'd have to find a reserve of energy to make his way back to his cold, bare room in the boarding house. Watching Ezra light the lantern on the dresser and turn the wick low, he slowly hauled himself to his feet and stood there swaying.

Turning to see the Hoosier's pathetic attempt to leave, Ezra tutted and went to stand in front of the man he considered his older brother. Looking up into the bleary hazel eyes, he saw a weary resignation to another lonely night of broken sleep, scattered with nightmares. How many years had he looked in the mirror and seen the same look in his own green eyes? Sighing, he resigned himself to a cramped night's sleep and reached to push Chris' duster off his shoulders.

"What the hell are ya doin', Ez?"

Throwing the duster on the rocker, Ezra ignored the feeble protest and continued stripping Chris of his guns, boots and outer clothes. Once the slender man was down to his longjohns, he pushed and prodded him over to the bed. Vin was curled up in the middle of the bed, which he always did whilst waiting on the return of the gambler. Normally, the tracker would rise to a level of consciousness sufficent to allow him to know that he needed to move to his side of the bed when Ezra returned. Tonight, heavily enebriated, the Texan slept on oblivious.

Shoving the heavy cover over to clear just enough space for Chris to sit, Ezra guided the older man to sit on the side of the bed.

"I ain't so drunk that I can't get myself into a damn bed, Ezra," grumbled Chris, as he pulled his long legs up and slid them under the warm covers. Lying back on the pillow, he sighed happily as the covers were pulled up to his chin. Snuggling in, creating a comfortable groove for himself in the feather topper, he smiled a little as he felt Ezra run a hand gently over his forehead to smooth his unruly blond hair away. The mask of indifference that the gambler used to wear had been ripped off, burned and forgotten and Chris couldn't be happier.

Tucking the covers in loosely, Ezra stood over the bed and smiled at his two brothers. Running his thumb over his lower lip, he ruefully wondered just how much of his fine imported Scotch the others had consumed before shrugging indifferently. What good was alcohol if it wasn't drunk between friends, even if he hadn't been one of the participants. He was sure there would be enough for the Christmas festivities as he'd made sure to store that liquor in a well hidden spot.

Chuckling at the thought of the many sore heads that would be evident in the morning, including his own, he finished undressing and pulled on his nightshirt before guzzling half of the jug of water and blowing out the lamp. Patting Baker, who was snugly curled up in his bed and not moving for anything short of a fire – his bed being a box that Josiah had sawn in half, sanding the rough edges, and padding well with a worn, old quilt supplied by Mrs Potter. The dog's bed had been placed a safe distance from the stove, at the foot of their bed. Looking down at the narrow space left for him, Ezra lightly scratched his belly and groused, "Damn good thing I got the biggest bed available."

Inserting himself under the covers, the gambler sighed and tried to find a comfortable spot that didn't involve hanging half of himself over the side, thereby letting the cold night air creep under the covers. Finally, Vin solved the problem by scooting back towards Chris as he instinctively tried to give Ezra room, despite being mostly asleep. Encountering the solid form of the older man caused Chris to sleepily turn on his side facing the door, which suited Vin as he was curled up facing the same way. Bodies mirroring each other, with the slightly taller man on the outside, Chris and Vin fitted together and made a bit more space for Ezra. Seeing what had happened, Ezra turned on his side too, the three of them spooning without touching.

Vin woke slowly and lay in the warm, dark coccoon of the bed. Ezra was lying in front of him emanating warmth and cologne. Frowning, Vin realised that someone was also lying behind him. Awkwardly turning to look over his shoulder, he huffed when he realised it was too dark to see anything. Instead he took a deep breath and grinned when he recognised the smell of tobacco, gun oil, wood shavings and whiskey – Chris. Snuggling back down into his previous position, the tracker marvelled at the fact that the three grown men had fitted in the bed. None of them were touching, but they were close enough to feel the body heat from one another. An incredible sense of safety overwhelmed the Texan, boxed in as he was by his two older brothers.

Suddenly he realised that he'd be able to sleep deeply on his own again now that the bounty no longer hung over his head. No more needing to be on guard day and night, vigilant for men wanting to drag him back to Tascosa, dead or alive. The sheer magnitude of what Ezra had done for him, when he asked his friend to find anyone left alive from Eli Joe's gang overwhelmed the younger man. Tears stinging his eyes, Vin felt his throat tighten. It was over. The living nightmare was over. The Tanner name was cleared. He could stay in one place. He could court a girl, if he found one to suit him. He could raise a family without fear of being ripped away from them. He wouldn't die, kicking and choking at the end of a rope. It was as though his sould had been opened to let in the light and Vin felt lighter than he had in years. Reaching out blindly, he clutched handfuls of Ezra's nightshirt as he wept softly and released all the tension, fear and angst he'd been holding in.

Attuned to his bedfellow, Ezra woke at the first touch and turned over quickly at the first breathy sob. Pushing the cover back from Vin's head, he framed the tracker's face and brushed his thumbs over Vin's wet cheekbones, asking quietly, "What is it? Nightmare?"

Unable to answer, Vin continued to cry with a shake of his head.

Pulling Vin into his chest, Ezra decided to wait out the tears and just hold his younger brother. Peering through the weak moonlit gloom, he saw Chris' eyes gleaming back at him.

Chris reached out a hand to rub over Vin's back comfortingly and murmured, "Guess it's just hit him. His life is his own again. Ain't got to keep looking over his shoulder, wondering if every stranger is going be the one to haul him back to Texas. I've been waiting on this… he's been too calm."

Stroking his hand over Vin's curly hair, Ezra nodded thoughtfully. Settling into their customary post nightmare positions, Ezra lay on his back with the Texan's head under his chin. Chris rolled over into the freed up space on his stomach, his arms crossed under the pillow, luxuriating in the extra room.

"He have many nightmares?"

Glancing over, Ezra replied, "No more than me. Or you, I suspect. We've all had to stand by helplessly as life stole those we loved. Nightmares are inevitable."

Grunting his agreement, the Hoosier shifted restlessly until he was lying on his back with his arms crossed over his chest. Lying that way for a few minutes, he thumpily turned over onto his side.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Turning back over to lie on his other side, Chris grimaced and groaned, "Need a piss."

"So get up and take one. Stop flapping the covers and letting the cold air in," grumbled Ezra, still tenderly rubbing Vin's back to soothe the younger man who lay quietly with the occasional hiccoughed breath.

"Too cold," complained Chris, trying desperately to quell the urges being communicated by his full bladder. "It's alright for you. Wait until you're my age. Can't make a full night anymore."

A snort of amusement sounded from the vacinity of Ezra's heart, causing the gambler's eyebrow to shoot up and a slight smile to lift the corners of his mouth.

"Don't want to hear anything from no scruffy, scrawny-assed Texans either," snarled the Hoosier, playfully poking Vin in the side where he knew the man was ticklish.

Jerking like he'd been shot and giggling wildly, Vin slithered over Ezra and pushed the gambler to the middle of the bed, before snuggling back in on the other side. Peering over his human barrier, Vin growled, "No ticklin', Cowboy. It's the middle o' the night. Time fer sleepin'."

Shaking his head at the petulant tone, Chris groaned as he realised that he was wide awake and in dire need of the chamber pot. Throwing the covers back, he ignored the protests and started groping under the bed from his sitting position.

"We keep it over on the chair by the stove, since Baker seems fascinated by the contents," mumbled Ezra, grumpily pulling the blankets back up to cover him, unhappy with all this nocturnal activity. Suddenly stopping, he whined, "Awwww, hell."

Sliding out of the bed, the southerner stomped over to the pot and hoisted his nightshirt. Fumbling for a few moments, the other two heard him loose a relieved sigh as the sound of liquid splashing into porcelain echoed around the room. This just added to Chris' discomfort and he almost ran across to stand next to the gambler, leaving Vin chuckling in the bed.

Finally, they all settled back into the bed, with Chris on his stomach again, Ezra on his back and Vin cuddled up to Ezra with his head on the gambler's chest. It was a tight squeeze and some of Chris' arm was hanging over the edge, but no-one was complaining. Just as they were nodding off, Baker jumped on the bed and started scratching at the covers and whining.

"Ez?"

"He's your dawg, Vin."

"Dammit!"

TBC


	19. Chapter 19

Byron emerged from his room and started down the hallway in search of breakfast. The night before had been very enjoyable, spent drinking and reminiscing with his old friend Ezra. They'd concluded their business dealings, including him reluctantly accepting payment for his services. Feeling as though he could never do enough for the southerner after he risked his life to save his own, Byron had been fully prepared to investigate whatever Ezra wanted for free. But knowing that he needed money to convince Carlotta's father to let him marry his daughter, he'd reluctantly taken the offer.

Slowing to stop, Byron cocked his head and listened for a sound to repeat. There it was again, a pitiful groan came from the other side of the door he'd been about to pass. Moving closer, he leaned to rest his ear on the door and heard a muffled sob followed by another groan. Raising his hand, he knocked on the door and called hesitantly, "Hello? Do you need assistant?"

Listening intently, he thought he caught a woman call for help, but it was very faint. Trying the handle, he found the door locked. Taking a breath, he looked around for someone but all the doors remained closed with everyone else asleep. Pulling his lock picking tools from his pocket, he called softly, "I'm going to unlock your door and come in. Tell me now if you don't want me to do so."

When the only response was more groaning, Byron swiftly unlocked and opened the door. Seeing no-one on the bed, he entered the room and began to search. There on the other side of the bed, beside the window, was an elderly woman crumpled in a heap and emitting low cries of agony.

"Madam, are you unwell? Do you want me to fetch a doctor?"

Lips pressed tight against the pain, Maude looked up at the handsome man and managed to nod. As her saviour started to rise, she whimpered, "Don't leave me."

Byron looked down at the tear washed, white face for a moment before gathering the woman into his arms and standing, his chest constricting at the stifled scream his actions solicited. Striding out, he made his way downstairs and towards the doctor's office he'd noticed earlier.

Hearing a heavy tread behind him, Nathan turned on the stairwell to see Maude Standish in Bryon Merriweather's arms. About to make a joking comment, his words died on his lips at the muffled sound of agony that came from the southern woman, forcibly reminding him of her son. Both southerners masked their hurts for fear of others exploiting what they perceived as weaknesses, although Ezra was getting better at allowing the other six to see his true self.

"Mr Jackson! Thank God! I found her in her room like this and was taking her over to the Doc," exclaimed Byron breathlessly, hitching the conwoman up into a more secure hold and murmuring an apology at the sound of pain the move wrung from her.

Running back up the few stairs, Nathan stopped in front of Byron and put his hand on Maude's forehead, feeling for fever and finding one. The colour of his skin contrasted even more markedly against Maude's porcelain skin, as she'd lost all bloom from her cheeks and lips. Her usually vivid blue eyes gazed up at him imploringly, bright with fever and diluted with pain.

"What happened, Maude?"

"Mah … stomach … pains me …Mr Jackson, " panted Maude from between clenched teeth, her hands still clutching tightly to her rescuer. "It … it has never … never been this bad before."

Nodding, Nathan turned and started bounding down the stairs, calling, "I'll go on ahead and get the Doc set up. You bring Maude over, quick as ya can."

Bouncing off the muscular body of his younger friend, Josiah landed on his rump on the porch. He'd been making his way to the restaurant to meet Nathan for their morning meal and hadn't been expecting there to be many people about, let alone anyone in a hurry.

"Sorry' ,Maude'ssick,gottago," babbled Nathan hurriedly in apology as he jogged backwards, before turning and sprinting to Doc Fletcher's place.

Getting up and brushing himself down, Josiah puzzled through the flood of words to get the meaning of them. Gasping as it hit him, he turned and almost collided with Byron, who was exiting the hotel with Maude in his arms. Immediately moving forward to take the sobbing woman off him, Josiah rumbled, "It's alright, Maude, I've got you. Bryon, go get Ezra!"

Nodding, Bryon ran along to the saloon as Josiah rushed to the new surgery, trying to keep his gait as smooth as possible to avoid jarring his burden. Maude was gripping his coat in both hands, so tightly that her knuckles were a blue-white, as she ground her teeth in an effort to hold in the shrieks of agony. Her body fought the alternate urge to arch her back, or curl up around her stomach. Turning her head into Josiah's shoulder, she tried to ground herself in his manly scent, his deep voice and the comfort of his touch.

Vin was just coming back upstairs after taking Baker out for his morning run, when he was roughly pushed aside by Ezra's friend, causing him to almost lose his grip on the pup as he hit the wall. Grabbing the bannister, he shouted, "Hey! Where's the fire?"

Getting no response, Vin sprinted after the man trying to get between him and his sleeping brothers. The two of them had been sleeping soundly when he left and he didn't want any strangers to see them and leap to wrong and dangerous conclusions. Cursing the fact that he hadn't locked the door after himself, he relaxed a little when he saw that Byron was pounding on the door and waiting for admittance.

"Ezra! EZRA! Wake up, man!"

Having sat bolt upright in bed at Vin's holler of surprise, reaching automatically for the Remington that hung from the bedpost, Ezra threw back the covers and ran for the door. Yanking it open, he had to dodge to avoid having Byron's fist 'knock' on his face. Seeing Vin apparently unharmed, standing behind his old friend and clutching his dog, Ezra drawled, "What's all the hue and cry about, Byron? It's barely day."

"Ezra, Mr Sanchez sent me to fetch you to the doctor's office. I found a woman in great distress at the hotel and he told me to get you," panted Byron, leaning against the door frame.

Ezra stood stock still. Mother! He'd had the vague feeling that he was forgetting something in all the excitement yesterday and that's what, or rather who, it had been. But she was supposed to have left on the stage yesterday morning. Was this some sort of con to get her back into his good graces? Jumping, he looked back to see Chris clasping a warm hand to his shoulder in support.

"Get dressed, Ez," urged the gunslinger gently, motioning with his head for Vin to go over to the surgery and find out what was happening. Glaring at the younger man when Vin set his jaw stubbornly and began to sidle into the room past Byron had no effect and made the blond huff in exasperation.

"Hurry, Ezra. The woman didn't look at all well," urged Byron, having recovered somewhat. He moved into the room and started handing clothes to Ezra for the gambler to don. Chris was hurriedly pulling on his own clothes, whilst Vin stood close to Ezra in case his brother needed something, petting Baker fretfully.

Chris cursed Maude Standish for making his head hurt worse than the hangover. If this was some sort of scam that she was trying to pull on Ezra, he was going to put her on a horse personally and force her out of town at gunpoint. If it wasn't a scam, then she was just as likely to cause the tender hearted southerner pain by up and dying on him. Despite how she'd treated him, Maude was still Ezra's mother and he loved her with all the warm, generous heart that she tried to smother. Sighing, Chris strapped on his gun and reached for his duster.

Maybe it wasn't Mother? Were there any other women staying at the hotel at the moment? But then why would Josiah send for him, if it wasn't Mother? It wouldn't be for his medical expertise, such as it was, since there was Nathan and Archie in town now. Paying little attention to the clothes he was handed, the gambler simply pulled on whatever it was and dressed on automatic pilot. Buckling on his various weapons, he blinked back tears suddenly at the thought that it was Maude and that he'd left her alone and ill. Worse, that he'd condemned her and practically ridden her out of town when she could be dying. Whilst it was true that she'd often left him alone when he was sick or hurt over the years, even when he was a small child, it didn't make him feel any better to have possibly done the same to her. Finally, he pulled his hat on and ran from the room, knowing that his brothers and Byron would follow.

Byron was the last one out and stopped to shut and lock the door for his friend. Casting an investigator's eye around the room, he noted the one bed that seemed to show three depression in the mattress. He knew that men shared beds in a platonic way, when hotels were short of rooms or the men were short of funds, but neither seemed the case here. Being a well-travelled man, he was also aware that men sometimes turned to other men for sexual gratification, whether through personal preference or because there was no-one else available to satisfy natural urges. Pocketing the key to give back to Ezra later, Byron shook his head and chastised himself. The southerner was his friend and speculation such as he'd just entertained could get a man hung. Besides, he knew that both Larabee and his friend were widowers and bereaved fathers. If they chose to share a bed, then it was none of his business.

In the clinic, Josiah sat in the waiting room, having been all but forced from the recovery room out back when he'd been ordered to carry Maude. Protesting that a woman should be present if they intended to disrobe their patient, he was shocked when Archie snorted with laughter and closed the door in his face. Standing up again, the ex-preacher began to pace, muttering prayers under his breath the whole time. Maude Standish may be a cold-hearted, self-centred con woman, but the heart wants what the heart wants and his foolish heart wanted the blonde vixen. Fully intending to deny his heart's desires, in deference to his self adopted son's feelings, Josiah still didn't want any harm to befall Maude.

"Josiah! Is it Maude? Is she ill? Did someone harm her?"

Spinning around to face the wild, green eyes of the man who'd just hurtled through the door, Josiah held his arms out to bar entrance to the back rooms, rumbling, "Now son, they're examining Maude and won't want you in there exciting her. I'm sure they'll come out and tell us what's wrong as soon as they possibly can. Just take a seat and try to be patient."

Nodding absently, Ezra removed his hat and ran a shaking hand through his uncharacteristically rumpled hair. Forcing his worry back, he asked, "Was she hurt, 'Siah? Did someone hurt mah mothah?"

Taking the shaken man in a paternal embrace. Josiah was surprised when Ezra leaned into him, resting his head on the bigger man's shoulder. Placing a hand on the back of the gambler's head and using the other to rub circles on his tense back, Josiah murmured, "She didn't look hurt to me, son. She was in a lot of pain and clenching her stomach, but there was no blood and she wasn't being sick."

Allowing the words to comfort him, Ezra nodding and sniffed then straightened up from the older man's arms. Looking up with a shy smile, Ezra moved away to where Vin stood between the chairs and the window. Sitting on one of the chairs, he immediately stood, pacing a few steps, then returning and sitting again, this time placing his hat on his knee and removing a deck of cards from his jacket pocket. Shuffling them without thought, he tried to calm himself.

Vin watched as Josiah held Ezra, looking towards Chris helplessly. He'd lost his mother when he was a child, he didn't know how to help someone face that loss as an adult, no matter how much he wanted to help. Finally, he sat next to the agitated gambler and leaned so that their shoulders touched. Ezra released a shuddering sigh and leaned back, seeming to relax a little at the contact, so Vin figured he'd done the right thing. Baker was still curled up in his shirt, sleeping by the sound of the little puppy grunts were any indication.

Scowling at the closed door as though it had personally affronted him, Chris growled, "What the hell happened, Byron?"

Retelling his story, Byron kept glancing at Ezra, knowing he wouldn't get a reaction from the reserved man. Although, Ezra had proven to be far more animated and emotional than he remembered him being. These men, the six other protectors of Four Corners, were the reason behind the new open Ezra and Byron was glad his friend had found some peace and a new, albeit unconventional, family. Just as he reached the point of his story where he was sent to fetch his friend, the door opened and Nathan strode through the surgery and into the waiting room.

Shooting to his feet, Ezra planted himself in front of Nathan, his eyes pleading with him for good news.

"Ain't gonna lie, Ez, it don't look good. Maude's got a swelling in her belly, low down near her leg. Doc Fletcher says he's only seen the operation she'll need once before, over in England but he's confident he can do it," started Nathan, his low, velvety voice washing over Ezra's fried nerves.

"What? What is it? What is wrong with my mother that she needs surgery?"

"Hernia. The muscle that holds your intestines inside can weaken in some folk, then it rips and the innards start to push through. Babies get 'em up around their belly buttons a lot, men get 'em down low on their sides from straining too hard – I seen a lot of cowboys with 'em from wrestling cows and miner's getting' 'em from trying to lift things that were too heavy for 'em. Doc Fletcher says that women can get 'em from being pregnant," explained Nathan, walking a fine line between concern for his patient and her family and his love and enthusiasm for medicine. He demonstrated on his own body the various places that people could get hernias as he spoke, causing Vin to blush slightly when he demonstrated where Maude's suspected hernia was located.

Ezra had lost all colour when he'd heard the word hernia. There'd been a patient in the hospital that he worked in who'd been admitted with a hernia. The patient had left treatment too late and the portion of his stomach that had forced its way through had strangulated, dying off and causing blood poisoning. The man had died what would have been a horribly painful death, were it not for the morphine that the doctors had kept pushing into him. It was not a death he wanted Maude to go through.

Noticing Ezra's distress, Chris put his arm around the gambler and gripped the smaller man's shoulder reassuringly, asking gruffly, "Will she die?"

The brusqueness of the question made Ezra head snap up and he stared at first Chris and then Nathan with huge eyes, begging for the answer to be negative.

"Can't promise anything, but Doc Fletcher doesn't think it's gone too far yet. He's scrubbing up now and we's gonna operate on Maude just as soon as I can get someone to help. No, no, now, you're not gonna help us, Ez. You're too close to the patient. Same goes for you, 'Siah," protested Nathan, looking expectantly at Chris.

Taking a deep breath and drawing himself up to his full height, Ezra argued, "Nathan, I am fully able and more than adequately trained to assist you and Archie in this matter. I'm assuming that you will be responsible for the ether, whilst Archie performs the surgery. I can put personal feeling aside and act as Archie's nurse. I … I need to help, Nathan. She's mah mothah!"

"NATHAN! We need to get on with this, did you get a volunteer?"

Smiling faintly at the Englishman's voice bellowing from two rooms away, Ezra called back, "I've volunteered, Archie."

"The devil you will, young man! You're not going to watch me cut into your mother," shouted Archie, stomping into the room. Looking at the assembled men, he pointed to Byron and ordered, "You! Go with Nathan and wash up thoroughly, you're needed."

Spluttering protests, Byron was pushed and pulled through the door to the surgery by Nathan, who turned and smiled sympathetically at the others before quietly shutting the door.

"Now, my boy, things are looking a bit grim but we're not without hope. However, I feel it would be for the best if you came through and sat with Maude for a moment or two whilst we're getting the surgery ready," said Archie, looking down at Ezra in a kindly fashion. At one time, he'd hoped that Ezra would train with him to become a doctor but life had had other plans for the impish boy. Nodding to the others, Archie took Ezra's arm and guided him through to the back.

Josiah, Vin and Chris were left standing in the waiting room, worrying about the gambler.

TBC


	20. Chapter 20

Maude lay on one of the surprisingly comfortable beds in the doctor's surgery, that her son had funded with his inheritance, contemplating what she would say to him. Doctor Fletcher had asked if she wanted to see anyone before the surgery and she'd requested Ezra's company. Despite feeling a lot better since the shot of morphine had kicked in, she was still far from confident that she would make it through surgery and she wanted any last moments to be with her darlin' boy.

"Mother?"

Maude smiled as she heard her son's dulcet tones and felt him lift her cold hand into his own, warming it by gentle rubbing. Hands that had once been smooth and soft, now had calluses from handling guns and lord only knew what other menial labour these men had enticed her boy to perform. Mind you, they couldn't come up with anything more onerous than his duties whilst at that dreadful institution of pain and suffering he called a hospital. Her mind shied away from the memories of his little hands when she'd collected him from certain carers who's used him cruelly. The only way she'd coped was to pretend it never happened and encourage him to pretend as well. A soundless sigh left her lips as she thought of past; she'd had such plans for her son but none had seen fruition.

Watching his mother's face, he found it hard to reconcile the worn, lined, paper-white face with the beautiful, animated face of his vivacious Maude. Even her hands, fragile and cold, were like those of someone else; so still when they normally never ceased to move. Without her finery, lying under the sheet in just a nightdress, Maude was barely a lump in the bed. A hot tear rolled down his face as he bit his lip against the sobs that threatened.

Feeling the wetness on her wrist, Maude struggled to open her eyes and look at her boy. Such a handsome man he'd become, with his chestnut curls, jade green eyes and classically handsome face. Just like his father, with the flashing smile and charming dimples. Even after all this time, the ache in her heart at the loss of the love of her life flared hot and sharp when she thought of him.

"My darlin' boy," whispered Maude, clasping his fingers, "Thank you for coming. I know I haven't earned your devotion…"

"Hush now, Mother, none of that, not now," urged Ezra, his voice breaking.

"No, listen to your mothah. I just have one thing I must tell you before your Doctor friend and Nathan do their best…" pausing, Maude licked her lips nervously before looking straight into the large, liquid green eyes of her son, "I love you. I know I haven't been very good at showing it, but I do love you, Ezra. I always have and I always will. If you only believe one thing I've ever told you, believe that."

Blinking, Ezra sucked in a breath as he searched Maude's eyes for any trace of deceit but found none. Releasing the breath in a long quivering sigh, he lifted the slender hand in his to his lips and kissed it gently. Tears rained from his eyes unnoticed as he cleared his throat and murmured, "I love you too, Mamma."

"Gracious, you haven't called me that since you were an itty bitty baby boy," sighed Maude, content that she had made her peace with her child. Now she could face the next challenge with a clear mind. Feeling herself slipping away again, she mumbled, "I'll be alright, darlin'. Takes more than this to kill a Standish. Now dry your eyes and show your Mother your pretty dimples."

Shaking his head ruefully, Ezra nonetheless used his sleeve to wipe away the signs of his distress and pasted a bright smile on his face for his mother. Neither of them wanted their last sight to be of tears.

"That's mah boy," cheered Maude, smiling softly and squeezing Ezra's hand.

"Ez, we're ready to take her in now," interrupted Nathan, standing in the doorway awkwardly, wishing he didn't have to disturb this healing moment between the gambler and his whirlwind mother, but knowing that time was of the essence.

Nodding, the southerner stood and bent to kiss Maude's forehead, causing a faint smile to lift her lips. Walking past Nathan, he squeezed his friend's arm and kept going, nodding at Archie's hearty encouragement and giving a solemn two fingered salute to a pale yet resolved Byron. Entering the waiting room again, he turned to carefully close the door before standing with his forehead leaning against it. Hearing the soft sound of fabric rustling, he looked over his shoulder at the anxious faces of Chris, Josiah, Vin and Buck. Noting JD's absence, he vaguely remembered that the boy had morning patrol.

Buck had wandered all over town trying to find the others and finally found them gathered in the new Doc's waiting room. Rushing in, he'd demanded to know who was hurt and why he hadn't been told. Upon learning that it was Maude, he'd immediately joined his brothers in their vigil, knowing that Ezra would need the support of them all. The woman was akin to a smiling 'gator, but she was Ez's Ma and he loved her, so losing her would be devastating. His blue eyes filled with tears as he remembered his own sainted Ma's passing. Yessir, ole Ez was going to need his real family.

Vin had perched on the windowsill, focussed inward despite his seemingly studious gaze directed towards the street. Worried for his brother, he stroked the fur of his pet continuously, smiling a little when Baker would lick his fingers lightly whenever they were in reach. Every now and then he'd glance towards the door to the surgery, wondering how Ezra was doing and what Maude was saying to him. Remembering how much it still hurt to think of losing his Ma and how much strength he's always found in her last words to him, he hoped that Maude could overcome her natural nastiness and give Ezra something tender to hold onto should the worst occur.

Chris sprawled on the seat closest to the door, scowling at the tips of his boots. Maude had better not be abusing Ezra or, sick or not, he'd be having words with the woman. Fleeting looks towards the others monitored their emotional states, judging them to be as worried as himself about Ezra and both Vin and Buck looked like they were remembering their own mother's deaths. Heaving a silent sigh, Chris scowled back down at his boots as he remembered that he had yet to ask the gambler about whether he thought it prudent to reinitiate contact with his mother and sisters. Remembering the soft way that his mother would look down at him as a child when he stood before her and how her hand sifted carefully through his tousled, windswept hair, made the gunslinger's throat tighten and his eyes sting.

Josiah sat next to Chris, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. Head bowed, he prayed for the health of Maude and the peace of his son. Lifting his head briefly to survey the sorrowful looks on the faces of the other three, Josiah lowered his head and began a new prayer for the peace of all his brothers.

Buck perched on the examination bed and stared at the painting on the far wall. It showed a riverboat steaming down a wide, brown river that he imagined to be the Mississippi. Looking closely, he could just make out the people on the deck, strolling around and enjoying the breeze. One small boy had cast a line from where he sat at the stern of the boat. It was a beautiful picture, with vivid colours that made it appear so alive that Buck could almost hear the music from the band playing at the bow, so that people could dance on the deck. Marvelling at the talent needed to produce such a work of art, Buck found himself smiling and feeling tendrils of wanderlust work their way into his soul. He'd never been on a riverboat. Hell, he'd never been on any sort of boat.

When Ezra emerged, all four heads snapped up to stare at him assessingly, noting the fresh tear tracks and fretful droop to his mouth. Josiah stood and walked slowly to where Ezra slumped against the door, coming to a stop in front of him. Lifting a hand to brush away a tear, the big man was surprised when Ezra grabbed hold of the lapels of his coat with both hands and leaned into his chest, resting his forehead wearily on the broad shoulder in front of him.

Without hesitation, Josiah brought his arms up to engulf the distraught man in a fatherly hug. Pressing his lips lightly to the gleaming chestnut curls that hadn't been tamed that morning, he hugged tighter in response to the muffled sob.

Chris glanced over as Vin ghosted from the window to lean against him. Putting an arm around the slender man, Chris gave the buckskin clad shoulder a squeeze, unsurprised to feel the weight increase as Vin leaned against him harder. Raising an eyebrow, he waited on Buck to decide which younger brother he was going to comfort and wasn't all that surprised when it was Ezra. Watching his oldest friend glide over to where the gambler stood sheltering in Josiah's arms, he asked with a gentleness that few knew him to possess, "Did you get to speak to Maude, Ez?"

Trying to maintain control was proving difficult for the southerner as he heaved in deep breaths and clenched and unclenched his hands in the rough material of Josiah's coat. Not trusting his voice, Ezra nodded.

"Did she…was she… uh…" floundered Chris, trying to think of a tactful way of asking if it went well. Deciding that Ezra was right when he said that none of his brothers had an ounce of diplomacy, Chris resorted to his normal route and growled, "Did she upset ya?"

Hiccoughing a laugh, Ezra pushed away from Josiah reluctantly and faced Chris with a watery smile. Fishing around in his pocket for a handkerchief, he accepted the bandanna that Buck offered and mopped his face without really thinking about what he was doing. Afterwards he looked at the somewhat grubby cloth and murmured, "Gawd, Bucklin."

Grinning slightly at the look of revulsion on the southerner's face, Buck put a hand on his friend's back and rubbed circles to try and release the tension.

Shifting his weight nervously, Vin asked, "Ez? Ya alright?"

Gazing into the worried sky blue eyes of the tracker and then to the similar expression in the hazel eyes of the gunslinger, Ezra mustered a more reassuring smile and said, "I'm worried about how the surgery will go, but I'm alright. Mau… Mother simply wanted to tell me that she l-loves me. That she always has… despite her treatment to the contrary."

Looking down at the grubby cloth that he still held, Ezra sniffled and said, "I think she wanted to clear the air between us, in case… well, just in case."

Looking back up, Ezra gave a short burst of laughter at the sight before him. Baker, having grown bored and a little hot within the confines of the tracker's shirt, had popped his flop-eared, big eyed head out from a gap in the shirt buttons. Covering his mouth with his hand, Ezra shoved the kerchief in his pocket and moved forward to release Baker from his confinement, much to the little dog's delight. Trying to avoid the eagerly licking tongue of the dog, Ezra chuckled a little and hugged the pup to his chest. Knowing Vin's aversion to being indoors and Chris' need for the evil leaf, he proposed, "Shall we wait on the porch? Baker needs to run around a little."

"I believe I shall go over to the church and offer a few prayers, if you don't need me hear, son," replied Josiah, seeing that Ezra was on a more even keel now and knowing that neither Chris nor Vin would leave the gambler on his own. Buck would be going on afternoon patrol eventually, but he'd no doubt stick close until then.

"I'd appreciate that, 'Siah. Every bit helps," answered the gambler, bending to let Baker down on the boardwalk where the pup immediately shook himself vigorously before sitting on the man's shined boot to survey the activity on the street.

Chris lit up a cheroot and stood downwind of the others, leaning on a post and glaring up and down the street, looking for potential trouble.

Ezra carefully removed his foot from under the pup and began to pace up and down the front of the surgery. Stopping at one end he gazed up at the sign he'd erected proclaiming the building to be a surgery, he read under his breath, "Doctor CA Fletcher - Surgeon, N Jackson – Doctor in Training".

An hour later and Ezra was beside himself with suppressed nerves. Everyone had moved back inside with Vin sitting on one side and Chris on the other. JD had returned from patrol but was currently walking Baker and himself, the tension being too much for the hyperactive youngster. Josiah had returned from the church, going via the restaurant for enough coffee for them all. Buck had gone out on patrol most reluctantly.

The door opened and Byron staggered out, almost collapsing in Josiah's arms when the big man spun around and leapt towards the white faced man.

"Byron?"

Chris and Vin clamped a hand each on Ezra's forearms at the strangled cry from the southerner. For his part, Ezra made no move towards the door, waiting for the bad news to come to him.

"Never again! You hear me! I will never, NEVER do that again. I need air. Let me out, please. Let me outside," shouted Bryron, desperately fighting against Josiah's strong hold as he tried to get to the door on rubbery legs.

Just then, JD came to the door carrying Baker since he'd been told that the pup wasn't allowed to set foot on the clean clinic floor. A blast of cool air entered with him, which seemed to refresh and revive the Pinkerton, causing him to stand on his own feet and close his eyes in relief. Drawing in huge lungfuls of the fresh air, he tried to banish the sweet, cloying taint of ether from his lungs and nose. Shuddering, he walked over to sit next to Vin in the last remaining chair.

"Byron?"

Just as Chris was about to demand that Bryon answer the timid summons of the gambler, the door opened again and Nathan emerged. Whereas the Pinkerton agent was ashen upon his emergence, the healer positively glowed with the joy of learning more about the work he was so passionate about. Locking on to the distressed eyes of his friend, Nathan's expression dimmed and he walked over to kneel down in front of Ezra.

"Doc Fletcher is just washing up now, Ez. Maude is settled in a recovery bed out back, sleeping off the ether," soothed Nathan, keeping his voice low as those green eyes drilled through him looking for falsehoods.

"D-Did … was the s-surgery a success?"

"Of course it was, my boy. Was there ever any doubt with someone of my and Mr Jackson's calibre at the helm? Even your friend, Byron, there performed without flaw. The protuberance was still viable, so we merely had to push it back and sew up the tear in her abdominal wall. Provided there is no complications, such as infection, then I expect she will make a full recovery."

"She'll be fine?"

"Barring infection or complications, yes."

"Can I see her?"

"Of course, you can, son. But she will be sleeping for a long while yet and will probably be violently ill upon awakening. Few people react well to ether, I'm afraid," assured Archie, his voice strained as he felt a coughing fit building. Excusing himself, he hurried out the front and around the side of the building. The urge to cough had been successfully suppressed during the surgery, but only just. It wouldn't be long before he'd be unable to operate.

Standing up, Ezra barely noticed as the others followed through to the recovery rooms. Nathan was in the surgery, scrubbing away the bloody evidence of the operation. Mentally reviewing all he'd seen, he committed it to memory with plans to write it all out in his journal later. Preoccupied with his task and thoughts, he never noticed the others trooping through.

Vin guided Ezra to Maude's side, settling him in the chair that Chris brought over. Ezra never noticed, his attention focussed solely on his mother, lying still as death on the bed. Gingerly taking her hand in his, he held it up to his cheek, willing some of his own warmth and life into it.

Chris, Vin and Josiah took up positions around the room, willing to wait with Ezra. JD quietly left with Baker, vowing to look after the little animal until Vin came for him.

An expectant air settled on the room as four man waiting on the woman in the bed to awaken.

TBC


	21. Chapter 21

Consciousness returned slowly to the tracker, snuggled down in the warm bed, with Chris on one side and Ezra on the other. They'd all had a restless night after the dramatic events of the previous day and Maude's emergency surgery. Neither he nor Ezra had questioned it when they were followed by Chris, all three of them silently stripping down to their skivvies and crawling into bed.

They'd started out all spooned without touching facing the door, but nightmares had resulted in Ezra being on his back, Vin cuddled up to his side with his head resting over the gambler's heart and Chris lying on his stomach with the tracker's back lined up against his side. A lazy smile spread over the Texan's face as he felt the bed dip with the slight weight of his pup when Baker scrambled up to join them. Ezra had come up with the idea of putting a shallow box of dirt in the corner, so Baker could attend to his business in the night without disturbing them. So far it had worked well, enabling the tracker to get a few more minutes of sleep or dozing.

Listening to the strong heartbeat under his ear, the young Texan grinned self-consciously as he blushed and admitted to himself that he liked this early morning cuddling better than sleep. Having not known a kind touch for most of his life, let alone this sort of prolonged comfort, he cherished it all the more now. Ruefully, he realised that he seemed to turn into a small boy when around Ezra now, looking to him for pats and hugs as a child would from a parent. Which was strange, given that the southerner was only a couple of years older than him, and left him with an odd feeling when he thought on it. Maybe it wasn't right for a grown man to be so reliant on another man for a good night's sleep. Maybe he shouldn't need the look of pride he saw on the gambler's face, when he looked up from reading one of his poems after he'd laboriously printed it into a blank book Ezra had given him. Maybe he shouldn't want that warm, fluttery feeling that filled his belly when he saw the look of affectionate fondness in the emerald green eyes of his brother.

Biting his lip, Vin felt his heart start to pound at the thought of giving up what he'd found and reverting to his old, independent, loner persona. Tears pricked his eyes as he remembered the long, lonely, cold nights in his wagon or on the trail, when his back had pained him to the point of not being able to draw breath properly; days when he'd watched people pass him by as though he was invisible or, worse yet, crossed the street to avoid him; days when he'd screamed inside at the tension of living a life on the run, afraid of everything and everyone. Leaning into the hand that had come up to stroke his hair, Vin stopped trying to puzzle out whether his behavious was wrong or not and gave himself up to the feelings of peace and contentment. Chris, Buck and Ezra seemed to think it was alright and he was willing to trust them. They all knew more about what was acceptable in polite society that he ever would, especially Ez.

Chris woke abruptly and wondered for a moment whose bed he'd ended up in. The faint smell of lavender from the pillow case, along with the smell of the desert and Ezra's cologne, convinced his mind to dredge up the memory of climbing into the gambler's bed with him and Vin. Puzzled as to what had awoken him, he assessed his surroundings cautiously and sighed silently when he realised that the tracker's damn dog had jumped on the bed. Like there was room for anything else here, he grumbled to himself as he shifted slightly in response to the dog's insistence. The gunslinger chuckled softly at the antics of the pup as he turned and curled, scratching at the covers and trying to make a nest, before settling with a contented huff in the space between Vin's curled legs and his own thigh. Sighing happily, Chris nestled his face further into the soft pillow and reminisced about when he'd been a boy and snuck his dog, Sam, into bed against his mother's orders. He'd loved that damn dog. Every boy should have a dog and he was glad that his Texan brother had finally gotten his, even if it was nearly twenty years late.

Sleep had abandoned Ezra around dawn and he'd been lying quietly, planning for that day and the next. It was Christmas Eve today and he had a lot to do. All his gifts had been bought and delivered, he'd paid a couple of the men who'd worked on Nathan's rooms above the livery and the MacPhail building to go out and cut down some suitable trees for decorating. Two of them were in a covered wagon behind the livery at the moment, but he planned to recruit some of his friends to distribute them today. He'd gotten a smallish one for Mary to decorate with Billy in their own house. The other medium sized one in the wagon was for the Saloon. But the full sized one should have been erected and decorated overnight, by the men he'd paid, just by the church whilst the town slept. Josiah had been let into the secret as the gambler hadn't wanted his employees shot by the big ex-preacher if he'd mistaken them for miscreants.

Dragging his mind back to the present, Ezra frowned as the slow, steady heartbeat under the hand he had laid on his young brother's back suddenly sped up as the muscles tensed. Bringing his other hand up to soothingly stroke back the shaggy curls, he wondered what Vin was thinking about to distress himself so much. Obviously it wasn't too bad as the Texan soon melted back into a dead weight against the gambler's chest. He'd give his brothers another half hour and then he really had to be getting up.

"Buck, have you noticed that Vin don't seem to be sleepin' in his wagon anymore?"

The big man looked up from his breakfast to eye his younger brother, before mumbling, "Nope. Ain't none of my business where ya all sleep, JD. I'm only interested in where and who I'm sleepin' with."

Nodding thoughtfully, JD sat silent for all of a minute, watching Buck shovel eggs and ham into his mouth. Then he observed, "Seen Vin coming out of the Saloon real early a coupla mornin's. So early that Inez hadn't even opened the doors. He always has coffee too. Ya reckon he's keeping time with one of the bar girls, Buck?"

"Could be, kid," agreed Buck, relieved at the assumption.

"Maybe he and Inez…"

"No way he's with Inez, boy, and you just stop wondering that right now. Inez has a reputation as a lady, so you just don't be sullying it now," growled Buck protectively. Just the thought of anyone else with the pretty bar manager was enough to make him reach for his gun. Huh. He'd never been jealous before when he'd been with other women. Might require some pondering as to why he was so possessive of the pretty senorita.

"Alright, alright, calm down. Sheesh, I was just thinking out loud," muttered JD sullenly, picking up his milk glass and putting it down repeatedly, building up a pattern of condensation rings on the table. "You been spending most nights with Molly, haven't ya? Ya must have seen Vin going in or out of Fanny's room."

"JD! Leave it, boy! Ain't none o' our business whose bed Vin shares, so just stop with your wondering and get out on patrol," snarled Buck, tossing his napkin down on the table in anger.

Wide eyed at the unusual display of anger from the normally placid man, JD leapt to his feet and started backing to the door, stammering, "S-sure, Buck. T-Tell Chris that I'm swinging by Nettie's to b-bring her and C-Casey back in fer Christmas."

Buck watched his young friend practically run from the room, before dropping his face into his palm and groaning. He hadn't meant to lose his temper with the kid, but he didn't know how to shut him up otherwise without breaking his promise to Ez and Vin. There were times when he wished he had his old friend's death stare.

Inez walked up beside Buck and put her hand lightly on his shoulder in consolation, before saying, "Gracias Senor Buck, for defending my honour again. I will have a word with Senors Ezra and Vin about telling the others. You shouldn't have to keep secrets from your friends."

Buck reached up and covered the slender hand on his shoulder with his own large, calloused hand and gave it a squeeze of thanks.

"What secret?"

Spinning guiltily, Buck and Inez glared at the unrepentant tracker, who was standing nearby with a grin on his face.

"Sneaky damn Texan! Stop creeping up on folks…"

"Ain't sneaking. Walked same as I always do. Can't help it iffun yer losing yer hearing in yer old age, Bucklin," teased the tracker, bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation of the chase. Baker sat just behind his master, his little head cocked in question of the slight tension he could sense.

Buck stood and roared, "I'll show you old, boy!"

With a flashing grin and a whoop, Vin sprinted from the Saloon with Baker yipping excitedly behind him and Buck hot on their heels. Inez just shook her head and went back into the kitchen with Buck's dirty plate and mug. Suddenly, the back door burst open causing the bar manager to shriek and reach for her broom. Vin and Baker streaked past with a shouted apology from the tracker. Just as Inez was about to go and close the door, Buck ran in, puffing like a locomotive and limping a little from a fall on a slightly icy boardwalk. Inez started a tirade of irate Spanish and whacked the out of breath gunslinger with her broom, causing Buck to miraculously recover and continue the chase.

"Whoa there, steady on, brother," cautioned Josiah, as he was nearly knocked back into the frozen over horse trough. Nathan steadied him from behind, not wanting to be caught between the big man and the frigid water.

"Sorry, 'Siah," sang Vin, jogging backwards for a few feet before grinning again when Buck made it to the door, "What'sa matter, old man? Lost ya puff?"

Shoving the preacher and healer out of the way, Buck roared and sprinted off after the nimble tracker.

"What the hell has gotten into them this early in the mornin'?"

"I don't know, brother Nathan, but did you see how young and joyous our fleet-footed tracker looked? Sometimes, I swear that boy is as young or younger than our sheriff," rumbled Josiah, drawing a huge breath into his mighty chest and letting it go, thankful that the last of his fever had cleared up. He was planning a trip to visit Hannah just as soon as Christmas was over.

Taking a table, in preparation for ordering their breakfast, Nathan and Josiah spun in their chairs with their hands reaching for their weapons as a torrid flood of Spanish erupted in the kitchen, along with a crash. They watched open mouthed as Vin ran through and made for the stairs, his pup at his heels. Just as they were about to go and investigate the cause of Inez's upset, they saw the lady in question stomp from the kitchen beating Buck Wilmington over the head and shoulders with her broom

Catching a flash of movement from the corner of his eye, even as he cowered from the feisty bar manager's attack, Buck leapt towards the stairs yelling, "Now, I've got ya, ya damn scruffy, scrawny Texan."

"I suppose the two of you crazy gringos want your usual breakfast," snapped Inez, her eyes flashing fire.

Open mouthed, Nathan and Josiah just nodded dumbly.

"Fine, it will be out in a while. I have to make more since that… that… gran buey torpe has knocked over all of my tortillas," ranted Inez, before stomping back into the kitchen and slamming the door.

Nathan and Josiah sat for another minute before a deep, rolling chuckle emerged from the preacher, which was quickly echoed by the healer. Before long, the two of them were leaning against each other, helpless with hysterical laughter.

TBC


	22. Chapter 22

"Ez! Chris! Help me," cried Vin piteously as he ran into the room, blithely ignorant of how close he'd come to being perforated by his brothers' bullets.

Alarm shot through Chris and Ezra, who had been peacefully dressing until the Texan's call for help. Just about to lower the weapons that had miraculously appears in their hands simultaneously, the guns were raised as Buck came huffing into the room.

Scrambling over the rumpled bed, with Baker bounding joyously behind him, Vin hurried to get himself behind Chris and Ezra.

Glancing back briefly at the cheekily grinning Texan, Chris asked dryly, "Problem, boys?"

"That low down, scruffy Texan called me old! In front of sweet Inez," growled Buck, leaning heavily on the bed and clutching the stitch in his side as he stood on his good leg. "I'm aiming to teach him a lesson on who's old."

Larabee chuckled and shook his head as he strapped his gun on. Ezra went back to his shave, unconcerned by the empty threat since he knew that Buck wouldn't harm a hair on Vin's shaggy head. Baker decided Ezra's stockinged foot made an excellent seat and promptly plantly his furry, little butt on the gambler's right foot. Seconds later, after the foot gave a slight shake of annoyance, the pup flopped over and lay the top of his body over Ezra's left foot with a content sigh. Rolling his eyes, the southerner resigned himself to having hairy socks for the rest of the day and finished shaving.

Buck lunged towards Vin and caught the slender man as he tried to cower behind Chris. Dragging him over to the bed, Buck threw the tracker on the bed and then commenced tickling him mercilessly.

"Chris! Help me," cried Vin, his voice squeaky with laughter as he pushed and slapped at the bigger, stronger man.

"Buck's younger than me, Cowboy. If ya reckon he's old, what does that make me? Nah, you take your medicine like a good little Texan," replied the gunslinger, sitting in the rocking chair to view the show being put on by his brothers as he put on his boots.

"Ez! Ez, he's… he's gonna make me pee," hiccoughed Vin desperately. Despite being weak with laughter, he still tried to crawl away from the tormenting fingers.

Tutting, Ezra realised that a damp mattress may actually be a result of these early morning hijinks, so he sauntered over to the bed and neatly flipped Buck over onto his side. Then he picked up Baker and tossed the dog lightly onto the bed and ordered, "Sic 'im, boy!"

Delighted with all the noise and activity, the little pup clambered on top of the flailing ladies' man and started licking and snuffling enthusiastically in Buck's ear. The more the big man struggled, the more frantic Baker became. Just as Ezra was becoming concerned that the pup may actually be the one to wet the bed in his excitement, Vin recovered and joined the fray, knocking Buck off the bed with a thump.

Drawn by the noise, Josiah and Nathan arrived just in time to see Buck and Vin hit the floor in a tangle of limbs and laughter. Baker stood on the edge of the bed panting and looking down at his playmates for a moment before jumping down and attacking Buck's pantleg. Seeing the tiny animal tugging and growling ferociously on the garment, trying to drag his 'kill' under the bed, caused all the bystanders to chuckle.

"I give, I give," cried Buck, red in the face and gasping for air as a result of Vin's tickling fingers.

Scratching his head in bewilderment, Nathan asked, "What in hell is going on up here? Why are all ya'll up her in Ezra's room? Why's Chris half dressed? And why is Ezra awake and dressed so early in the morning?"

Ezra stopped wiping leftover shaving soap from his face and turned to face the newest interlopers to his sanctuary. Honestly, his room was becoming more popular than a whorehouse at the end of a cattle drive. Glaring at the two on the floor, he silently blamed them for leaving the door open and creating something to draw attention.

"I slept here," declared Chris unexpectedly, still rocking contentedly in the chair by the bed. Uncaring of what others thought, he answered honestly. "Dunno what woke Ez, but he was awake before me. Maybe Vin or Baker woke him up."

"You slept here? Here? In that bed? And Ez was in here too. With Vin? And the dog? All o' ya in that there bed?" With each sentence, Nathan's normally deep voice rose in pitch.

Josiah simply quirked his eyebrow, but Nathan was gobsmacked. He could maybe understand Vin bunking in with Ez when it was cold. He'd noticed that the tracker wasn't as crocked up as he usually got in the cold, so figured he hadn't been sleeping in that rickety, old deathtrap of a wagon. Like the rest of the seven, Nathan also knew that Vin had given his room at the boarding house to Old Man Jacobs. So the young man had to be sleeping somewhere warm and he was too shy to be with any of the women in town. He'd also noted the closeness between Ezra and Vin, which he'd thought odd at first but on deeper reflection he'd come to realise they had a lot of similarities in their backgrounds. He'd even thought that maybe, just maybe they were… that way. But he couldn't picture the two of them in a bed with Chris Larabee. The man was too cold and forbidding to cuddle up in bed with two men… wasn't he?

"Yup. Here. In that bed. With Ez, Vin and even that damn dog at some stage," confirmed Chris, his eyes lowered to where he was absent-mindedly brushing dog hair off his pant leg. If he'd been looking at Nathan, he may have been less forthcoming as a speculative look warred with one of disapproval on the healer's face.

Vin had frozen, staring up at Nathan and Josiah in fear. Darting a glance over to Ezra, he wondered if the gambler would finally kick him out now that the others knew. Licking his lips nervously, the tracker waited to see what would happen next, huddled up in his coat and trying to make himself as invisible as possible. Baker, sensing the man's unease, had come to lean against his side comfortingly.

Searching the faces of his friends, Ezra saw the embarrassment on Chris', the fear on Vin's, the chagrin on Buck's, the quiet humour on Josiah's and the initial incredulity on Nathan's. No-one looked angry or condemning, but Nathan was starting to show signs of having reached an erroneous assumption, so the gambler decided to step in before Vin melted into a pool of misery on the floor.

"Come now, Nathan, don't tell me you've never shared a bed with a friend. I've shared beds with cousins, friends and even strangers in the past, depending on circumstances and my pecuniary state. I think you'll agree that in this unnaturally frigid weather, having a bedmate or two makes sense healthwise. Staying warm at night is advantageous to one trying to avoid the various infirmities of the season. So, being a single man not in the habit of collecting female bed partners, I asked Vin if he would be willing to give up his humble abode for the foreseeable future and he kindly agreed," explained Ezra, his honeyed tones dripping as he wove his verbal magic. "It is purely a platonic arrangement, neither of us having a proclivity for romantic or sexual entanglements with those of our own gender. In fact, I view Vin as the younger brother I always wanted but was never gifted with by Maude."

A little dazed by the onslaught of words, Nathan nodded his agreement with all that had been said. Then his gaze lifted to stare at the mute, solemn gunslinger in the rocker.

Without prompting, Ezra smoothly continued, "Chris realised how upset I was at the near loss of my mother, as well as the slight melancholy that affected Vin when the episode triggered sad memories of his own childhood loss. He followed us up here, intending to spend the night in the rocker, knowing that we would find comfort in having our … well… our big brother, if you must know, close by. I didn't see the point in the poor man waking with a chill or a stiff back and neck, so we squeezed together and managed to spend a cozy night in the bed. Fortunately, I invested in the largest bed I could find locally, so whilst it was a tight fit no-one fell out."

"Guess that all makes sense. Not that you have to justify nothin' ta me. Each to their own, is my way o' thinking. Ain't none o' my business who sleeps with who, n' I ain't aimin' to get involved lessen someone's getting hurt. I had noticed that Vin's back weren't giving him as much trouble this winter and I'm guessin' him sleepin' up here is the reason for that. It's a good thing. Certainly makes less work for me," replied the healer, his face clearing to a warm look of fondness before settling back into a puzzled frown. "But what's Buck doin' up here? There's no way y'all fitted in that bed. And why's he chasing Vin all over town?"

"Merely hijinks between brothers," answered the gambler, smoothing down his sleeves after donning his emerald coat. Clapping his hands together, he announced, "I'm ravenous. Shall we all go down and see what delights Inez has for us to break our fasts with this morning?"

Giving Vin a hand up, Ezra twisted and turned his head trying to catch the younger man's downcast eyes. Finally, he made eye contact and gave the tracker a wide grin, his tooth glinting in the morning sun. Squeezing Vin's forearm, the southerner tried to get across the message that he would never cast the younger man aside, regardless of what others thought or said.

Allowing Ezra to haul him to his feet, Vin clung tentatively to the strong forearm under the deceptively soft material. Unwilling to see the anger or worse disappointment, in the emerald eyes of his brother, Vin focused his own on the brown dog at his feet. Finally, unable to avoid it and bolstered by the firm grip on his own arm, he risked meeting Ezra's eyes. Relief flooded through him as he saw no condemnation, only concern and love. Squeezing the southerner's arm, he swallowed harshly at the lump of emotion.

"Come on, pard. Time to feed you," called Chris as he shrugged into his duster on the way to the door. He'd noted the unspoken conversation the two younger men were having and seeing the shy smile on Vin's face, he knew that everything had been resolved. Pushing Buck in front of him, he caught up to Nathan and Josiah, catching their arms to stop them. "I trust we can rely on the two of you to keep this to yourself? We aren't doin' anything wrong, but some of the upstanding, righteous folk of this town would love to get rid of us for any trumped up reason. Three men in a bed together is enough for their perverted minds."

"Sure Brother, my lips are sealed," rumbled Josiah with a big toothy grin, "Seriously, you know I'd never do anything to hurt our boys."

Nodding solemnly, Chris turned to Nathan.

"Like I said, ain't none of my business, Chris. I ain't one for spreading stories either. You know that," stated Nathan, drawing himself up to his impressive full height to glare down at Chris.

Chuckling, Chris patted the angry man on the shoulder and said, "Yeah, I know Nate, but I like to be clear. Now let's go eat."

"We've already eaten, so I'm gonna head over to the clinic and check on the Doc and Maude," replied Nathan, deflating and smiling sheepishly.

The six men entered the saloon only to met with the shrill cries of Billy Travis crying out for Chris to come quick. All of them broke into a run and almost broke the hinged doors as they all tried to get out at once.

Once out, the converged on the small, blond boy who was running up the boardwalks towards them, his harried mother bringing up the rear.

"Chris, Chris! Didja see the Christmas tree? Didja? It's 'normous! Did Santa bring it, d'ya think?"

Bracing himself to snatch the flying child out of mid air, Chris marvelled at the childish faith that allowed them to throw their bodies around with such careless abandon, trusting absolutely that the adult of their choosing will always catch them. Holding the sturdy little body to his chest, Chris tried to force down the pain that came from the knowledge that it wasn't Adam in his arms, or Sarah standing in front of him. Lowering his head to press a kiss on the silky hair, he blinked fiercely to clear the tears that threatened.

Buck and Ezra exchanged a look and moved forward simultaneously. Vin had already moved off with Josiah to see the Christmas tree and Nathan had gone to the clinic, now that he knew that there was no emergency. He'd go see the tree once he'd checked on his patient and allowed the Doc to have a break for breakfast.

"Young Master Travis, what is this about a wondrous tree?"

Buck nodded to Ezra as the gambler plucked Billy from Chris' unresisting arms and walked off with the still chattering boy sitting on his hip and Mary's hand tucked into the curve of his elbow, allowing Chris some time to gather his composure without an audience. Buck stood next to the distraught gunslinger with a hand on his shoulder for support. After scrubbing his hands vigorously over his face and through his hair, Chris gave his old friend a wan smile and started off towards the church. Buck strode along at his side, pushing his own painful memories of a lost sister and nephew back into the box he kept them in.

An early morning crowd had formed to stand and marvel at the huge, decorated tree that now stood in solitary majesty in the field next to the church. Whispers asking where it had come from and who had paid for it, rustled through the people in a constant susseration.

"Friends, I'd like to thank Mr Ezra Standish for his generous donation to the town," boomed Josiah, making sure that the credit fell where it was due. A few of the 'good' folks had speculated that perhaps the banker, Cornelius Merton, had arranged the tree and the bloated toad had puffed up and hadn't looked like he was going to refute the whispers. Josiah was having none of that and glared at the few people audacious enough to show disapproval that a gambler had donated the tree.

Ezra paid the righteously indignant no mind and concentrated on the looks of joy that crossed the faces of the children like Billy, and the faces of the young at heart like Vin and Yosemite. Grinning widely, he watched as all the children and quite a lot of the adults walked around the tree, mesmerised by the ornaments.

Grinning, Buck slapped the shorter man on the should hard enough to make him rock forward and exclaimed, "Ya did good, hoss!"

Nodding, Chris added, "Not many around here can afford to have their own tree ornaments, so having one that's for the whole town was a really nice idea, Ez."

Smiling shyly at his older brother, Ezra felt the unaccustomed flush of pleasure that receiving praise from his six brothers always gave me. Maude had not raised him to be charitable, but it seemed that it wasn't something that could be trained out of a person. Whenever she'd caught Ezra performing some small act of kindness, she had scolded him and asked what gain there was in giving away his hard earned money, or valuable time. It saddened the gambler that she would never know the true joy of giving to others. Gazing around at all the happy, laughing people around him, he knew that it wasn't a feeling that he could ever give up.

TBC


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very vague description of consensual gay sex, but not involving any of the seven. Just a memory of something seen and very sketchily recounted. Oh, and hankie warning too.

"JD, can I speak with you a moment, please?"

Jumping a little at the sudden appearance of the gambler, JD cursed the ability of his brothers to appear out of thin air. Even Josiah could be as stealthy as a ghost when he chose to be, but it was a skill JD had yet to master. It seemed if there was a brittle twig within twenty feet, he'd step on it and make a noise as loud as a shotgun blast. Turning to face the southerner, JD smiled and said, "'Course ya can, Ez."

Inez had spoken to the southerner about the situation between JD and his older brother, causing Ezra to curse under his breath. Now that Josiah and Nathan knew about his sleeping arrangements with Vin and Chris, it left only JD in the dark which wasn't fair to anyone. Having ensured that there was no-one in the livery, the gambler had waited on JD's return from patrol and collecting the Wells women.

"Inez told me about your conversation with Buck this morning," started the gambler, twitching his cuffs uncomfortably.

JD, fearing a reprimand for ungentlemanly behaviour from the notoriously courteous southern gentleman, leapt in and interrupted, "Ezra, I know I shouldn'ta been talking about Inez, and whether Vin was sleeping with her, out in the open like that…"

Ezra held up a hand to stop the boy, frowning as he spoke, "No, you shouldn't have been discussing such a matter. Whether it was in an open forum or not, speculating on the private matters of a lady is unchivalrous and beneath you, JD. Quite frankly, I thought that your mother had instilled better manners in you. But that is not what I came here to discuss with you, as I understand that Buck already spoke to you about your conduct. No, I'm here to set you straight on Vin's sleeping arrangements."

A dull feeling of embarrassment was creeping over JD from Ezra's subtle scolding, but then his mind started racing as he put one and one together to get sixty-nine. Unconsciously backing away until he hit the closed stall door behind him, he stammered, "N-no, y-you d-don't have t-ta s-say anything… N-none of my b-business what you and V-Vin d-do…"

Perplexed by the boy's sudden fear and discomfort, Ezra tried to work out what he'd said to cause such a reaction. Suddenly the penny dropped and Ezra broke into laughter, moving to sit on a bale of hay and clutching his middle as he chortled merrily.

Frowning at the unexpected laughter, JD began to doubt his conclusions and whispered, "Ez?"

Wiping his eyes with his handkerchief, Ezra tried valiantly to rein in his amusement. Leaning back on the post behind the hay bale, he smiled gently at JD and asked, "How do you even know about such things, JD?"

Shrugging, JD answered, "Mama worked in a hotel and I used to help her by stripping sheets and such. I noticed that sometimes two men would walk out of the room, but only one of the beds would need changing. When I asked Mama, she said they were probably just keeping one another warm. It was cold so I just accepted it. Then one day, I was helping out in the stables and dropped my penknife but didn't notice I had until I was emptying my pockets before I undressed for bed. Figuring that it would still be in the stables, I went down to find it. It was special to me, 'cos Mama said it had been her Da's knife when she gave it to me and that I was to look after it special. Anyway, I heard some strange noises coming from one of the back stalls and thought one of the horses might've been sick, so I went back to see."

Waiting as JD collected himself, his mind back in a Boston stable, Ezra hoped it had been a mutual meeting and not a forced one.

"It was one of the older stable boys and one of the kitchen boys and they was… well, both of 'em had their pants around their ankles and Jack was… He was… I didn't even know you could do that. Never seen a man and woman together, hadn't never been with a woman myself, but Ma had sort of explained what happened between a man and woman to me when I turned thirteen. They was both moaning and I still didn't know if I should bust them up or anything. Shaun didn't look like he was struggling or nothing and I couldn't tell if he was in pain or not by his face. Anyway, it was giving me all sorts of weird feelings so I just backed out as quiet as I could. Never could look either of them in the face again though. I went back to my room and must have looked like I seen a ghost, 'cos Mama sat me down and made me tell her what happened. Me and Mama didn't have no secrets from each other, so I just blurted out what I'd seen and asked her if I should've broken 'em up."

Interest piqued by the conversation, Ezra leaned forward when JD paused and prompted, "And? What did your sainted mother tell you?"

Looking at Ezra with wide, honest eyes, JD answered, "She said I'd done the right thing by just leaving and not interfering. She said that I would have known if Shaun hadn't wanted to do what he was with Jack. She said that some folk was just born to love their own kind and that it wasn't something they could help, but that I shouldn't talk about it 'cos it was illegal and could get the men killed if folk found out. She also said that there were people who were born wrong and loved little boys and girls and if I was to see anything like that, that I was to run straight to the police station and tell someone, 'cos that was wrong."

"How old were you when all of these revelations were revealed to you," asked the gambler, wincing at the mention of paedophiles.

"Just turned fourteen," replied JD sadly. After a small pause, he asked in a tiny voice, "Are there really folks who do things like that to little kids?"

Swallowing hard and trying to control his rising panic as long hidden memories threatened to burst forth, Ezra said gruffly, "Yes. And if you see any, you shoot them, JD. Prison isn't good enough. You shoot them dead."

Startled at the venom in the normally mellifluous tones, JD was about to ask a question he'd regret when Ezra suddenly shook himself and looked up at him.

"Now, JD, we seem to have digressed from my original topic of conversation. Vin and I are not lovers, as you seem to have assumed. Neither one of us are inclined to love our own gender. We do share a bed, but as brothers and friends, nothing more. When there was a bounty on our tracker's shaggy head, he slept better with someone watching his back. Also, it's far too cold for him to be sleeping in that rickety wagon, or out under the stars."

Nodding, JD added, "And he gave his room at the boarding house to Old Man Jacobs."

"Quite so. As a result, he and I have been sharing my very large bed this winter. There is nothing more than sleeping going on. We are not engaged in some sort of illicit tryst. However, as your mother pointed out, people frown upon those of the same gender being in a relationship and they love to jump to the wrong conclusion when supplied with very little factual evidence," said Ezra, maintaining eye contact with the younger man in the hopes of conveying how serious he was about the matter.

"So, you don't want me shooting my mouth off about where Vin's been sleeping anymore," offered JD. Thinking things over, he nodded and said sheepishly, "It has been awful cold and I gotta say that if Buck weren't always off with some woman or other, I'd be tempted to ask to crawl in with him for the warmth. I've never shared a bed with anyone regular like. Well, except Mama when I was real little, but that's all. I've had to share a room with Buck sometimes, but he doesn't usually stay in the bed, 'cos he can usually find some woman to let him share. Reckon it must be real nice to have someone just breathing beside ya, friendly like, sharing ya bed and helping to warm it up."

"It can be, JD, it can be. It depends on who you're sharing the bed with as to the amount of pleasure in the experience. I was once forced to share a bed with a cowhand from Oklahoma, due to an unlucky run at the tables, and it was horrendous. He twitched and kicked and snorted, like one of the beasts he herded. Not to mention the smell of the rather unpleasant side effects from the chili he'd eaten. That night was a rather powerful inducement to play a stronger game the next night, I can tell you," declared the southerner, standing and dusting himself off.

Chuckling at the image, JD moved to walk out with the southerner. Reaching out, he put a hand on Ezra's sleeve to stop him just before they exited the livery and asked, "Does Buck know about you and Vin?"

"Yes, he does. Buck once heard Vin and I play fighting and, thinking I was in real trouble, broke open my door to see us together. He jumped to the same conclusion that you just did, so we had to set him straight and swear him to secrecy. Buck, as you know, would sooner cut his hand off than break his word or hurt a friend. This morning he was forced to choose between breaking his word and hurting both Vin and myself, or keeping his word and hurting you. That was why he was so short with you this morning, JD. He couldn't think of any other way to stop you from your discussion, without breaking his word to me and Vin," explained Ezra kindly. Seeing that JD had already forgiven Buck, he went on, "Josiah, Chris and Nathan all know, as well as Inez, Fanny, Molly and Rafael. The ones who live in the saloon could not help but notice and all knew the reasoning behind it and agreed to keep our secret. Vin told Chris, as he tells Chris everything. Nathan and Josiah discovered it quite by accident, just this morning. I didn't want you to be the only one not to know, and it wasn't fair to make Buck keep secrets from his best friend. So here we are."

"Thanks, Ez. For telling me. And I'm sorry for jumping to the wrong conclusion before," said JD, moving towards the saloon. He was a bit hurt at being the last to know, but could understand how that came about and was happy that Ezra thought enough of him to let him know personally. In fact, apart from Chris, it seemed like he was the only one not to accidentally stumble on the truth. Seeing Casey going into the Potter's store, he slapped Ez on the arm and ran in that direction, shouting, "See ya later, Ez."

Chuckling and shaking his head ruefully, Ezra walked off to the clinic to visit with his mother, checking his pocket to make sure that the rose flavoured hard candy in a decorative box was still in there.

Later that afternoon, Ezra beckoned to Vin and gestured to show that the tracker should follow him upstairs. Once they were both in the room and the door safely shut, Ezra went to the dresser and removed a box from one of the drawers saying, "I have something for you and didn't want to give it to you in the presence of others."

"Aw, Ez. It ain't Christmas 'til tomorrow," groaned Vin, trying not to show how excited he was to be getting his present early. Making little gimme motions with his hands, he nearly snatched the box from the gambler's grip.

"Wait! I want to explain something first," cautioned Ezra, whipped the box away from the greedily grasping hands. "When I had Byron go over your past to try and clear your name, I had him go as far back as he could."

A knock on the door startled them both, before Ezra put the box on top of the dresser and put his hand on his gun, calling, "Who is it?"

"Chris."

Moving to admit the lean gunslinger into the room, Ezra quirked an eyebrow in question to his presence.

"This a private party, or can anyone join?"

"No, by all means, I'm sure Vin would probably tell you all about this anyway, so might as well save him the trouble. Now as I was saying," replied the gambler, gesturing for Chris to get comfortable in the rocking chair as he reclaimed the box and went to sit on the bed beside Vin, "I had Byron go over your past and try to track it back. He's a damn fine and tenacious investigator and managed to track your pathway all the way back to Gatesville."

Unsure that he was comfortable with someone tracing his history, Vin shifted and waited to see what his brother had for him.

Chris sat, rolling an unlit cheroot between his fingers, watching Vin's face intently. Like the young man, he wasn't sure that he'd like to have his history dredged up either.

"As he was backtracking, he … well, he collected things he found. Things that you might be interested in having," said Ezra, gently bringing the box onto his lap. Seeing the almost fearful look on Vin's face, he soothed, "I've seen what's in here, Vin, there's nothing to be afraid of and both Chris and I are here for you."

Tentatively taking the box from Ezra, Vin looked at it as though it were a coiled rattler. Taking a deep breath, he tried to flip open the lid and look at the contents. Looking back at Ezra, he whispered, "Cain't do it, Ez."

Scooting closer and putting his arm around the trembling Texan, Ezra took the lid off the box and put in on the bed behind him. Noting that Vin had closed his eyes, he motioned for Chris to come over and sit on the other side of Vin. Once that was done, he removed his comforting arm and picked up the box.

Unaccountably distressed, Vin leaned against Chris when Ezra let him go, then he felt something cold and metallic placed in his hand. Automatically opening his eyes, he looked down to see a Texas Rangers badge in his hand.

"That was your father's badge, Vin. I have a name and address for someone who knew your father and would like to write to you, telling you about him and their adventures together in the Rangers. Would you like that?"

Tears fell onto the metal as Vin traced the words and nodded.

"Your father was issued that badge shortly before he died. They'd only started using them and it was still unofficial, but his partner – the man whose name I have – kept it for you. But he was injured in the same skirmish and by the time he'd healed, you and your Mother had moved to live with your Grandfather. He had this too," explained Ezra, offering a faded tin type of a group of Rangers. One at the back in the middle drew the eyes of all three men. The square jaw and determined air was the spitting image of Vin.

Tracing his finger lightly over his father's face, Vin whispered longingly, "Pa."

A tight band around his chest made Chris' chest hitch, his mind conjuring the face of a small blonde boy with hazel eyes looking out of a window, his tiny hand splayed out on the glass as he watched his Pa ride away.

Swallowing, Ezra pulled a bible from the box and opened it to show Vin, "This is your Mother's bible, Vin. Byron went to the orphanage you were taken to and they still had a box with your name on it and the belongings that they took from you. It had this bible and it shows all the births and deaths in your family, including your parents' and your own."

"It's got ma birthday in it? Ma true birthday?"

"Yes, Vin, your true birthday. See here, it says you were born to Michael John Tanner and Carys Seren Tanner, nee Jones, on April twelfth 1861," recited Ezra softly.

"I's … I's 23," exclaimed Vin, proud that he finally knew when he was born and how old. Noticing something written next to his name, he asked, "What's this here mean, Ez?"

"Ah, it seems that you weren't your parents' first child. They had a little girl, called Bronwen, who died in her sleep when she was just eight weeks old. That was in 1959."

More tears fell for his previously unknown older sister.

Ezra pulled out a wooden horse that looked very similar to ones that Chris produced, taking the bible from Vin and replacing it with the horse.

A vague memory of playing with the horse surfaced and Vin's lips curves upwards slightly as he sighed, "My first pony."

Sensing more than seeing the questioning looks, Vin explained, "Ma told me that I wanted a horse like my Pa's something fierce, but I's too young, so he carved me this here horse and told me it would have ta do 'til I's big 'nough for tha real thing. I called him Wind, 'cos he went as fast as tha wind in ma mind."

Tears flowed down Chris' face as he remembered doing the same for his own boy.

There wasn't much left in the box now. Ezra lifted a flop-eared, much loved, ragged soft toy bunny out of the box and held it out to Vin silently.

"Hoppy! Orphanage says it would cause fights iffun I's ta have toys and the other kids didn't, so they took Wind and Hoppy offa me. Ma made Hoppy for me when I's still in her belly. I loved the damn thing and wouldn't sleep without him. Cried maself ter sleep every night for months after they took him away from me," choked Vin, as he held the rabbit to his chest, along with the Ranger badge that he still clutched in his other hand. Ezra had taken everything else back off him and replaced them in the box. Unable to hold it in anymore, rough sobs broke from Vin and he was immediately taken into a tight embrace by Chris. "Weren't fair. Weren't fair!"

Crying silently, Ezra cursed himself for opening all these old wounds. Looking up, he was caught by the piercing hazel eyes of his older brother and was surprised by the affection he saw there. No condemnation, just affection and gratitude. Clearing his throat roughly, the southerner patted Vin's thigh.

Sniffling and rubbing his eyes with his wrist, since he refused to release the two links to his parents, Vin sat up straight and looked solemnly at Ezra.

"There's only one more thing in here, Vin. It's another photograph, with the address of the lady who gave it to Byron on the back. Like your Father's friend, she's hoping that you'll write to her so she can tell you all about her niece who was your mother," said Ezra, seeing the realisation hit Vin. "Yes, you have an aunt, but she was in Wales when you were orphaned and didn't know what had happened. All she knew was that your mother's letters stopped coming and that hers were returned. Eventually, she married and convinced her husband that they should try for a new life in America. By the time they got to the States, you would have been living with the Indians and she had no way of finding you. They settled in Gatesville, so they could be there if you ever came back."

Stunned, Vin stared at Ezra trying desperately to assimilate all of this new information. Then he noticed that Ezra was holding the photograph out for him to look at, so he gazed down. There in Ezra's slightly shaking hand was a photo of his Ma sitting on a chair, with a small boy in her lap who he assumed to be himself, and his Pa standing behind and to the side of her with his hand on her shoulder. Pride in his family shone from Michael Tanner's eyes, just as joy shone from his Ma's. Mesmerised, Vin stared at his lost parents for a long time, before finally he sniffed and said, "Looks just like the painting ya done of her, Ez."

"What painting?"

The two of them turned to Chris and then Ezra stood up and retrieved the now framed and much cherished painting that he'd done for Vin out on the trail. Carefully inserting the photo into the other side of the folding frame, he held it out to Chris who whistled softly.

"Damn Ez, it's a perfect match. You painted this without knowing what Vin's Ma looked like," exclaimed Chris admiringly. Damn gambler was full of surprises.

"I described Ma and Ez painted her, just like I said," confirmed Vin, proudly. He carefully replaced his bunny and the badge into the box and reached for his picture frame. Looking up, he asked shyly, "Will ya help me write to Pa's friend and ma Aunt, Ez?"

"I'd be honoured, Vin, but it won't be much longer and you'll be able to write to them all on your own. You really have come along brilliantly," replied Ezra, running his hand over Vin's wild hair.

A warm, fuzzy sense of pride filled Vin as he reflected on the fact that he had not one but two people to correspond with on a regular basis. He'd always been a little bit jealous of all the mail that Ezra received.

"Speaking of letters, Ez, I've been meaning to ask ya something," began Chris, eyes still riveted to the painting of Vin's Ma. He wondered if Ezra would do the same for him, if he were to describe Sarah and Adam. The only photograph he'd had of his family had perished in the fire. Finally looking up, he saw that he had Ezra's attention so continued, "I got family in Indiana that I kind of lost touch with after… after the fire. I was sort of wanting to get back in touch with 'em, but thought it might bring 'em more harm than good, seeing's how that bitch Ella's still out there. Figured you might know of some sort of sneaky way to do it. A way that can't be traced back to me."

Puffing himself up with fake indignance, Ezra scowled at Chris with twinkling eyes and queried pompously, "Me, sneaky! Are you intimating that I am in some way unhanded, sirrah?"

"Cut the crap, Ez. You know you're a conniving son of a bitch who could trick the devil himself," snapped Chris, the amused twinkle in his eye belying the harshness of his words.

"Well, yes, that is true," mused the gambler, slumping back down and raising his hand to stroke his thumb over his lower lip, wondering if he should share his news now.

Vin looked at his brother and immediately knew that he wasn't the only one whose past had been investigated. The twinkle in those green eyes and the slightly nervous air was giving him away. Putting his photo on the bedside table, he stood up and demanded, "What have you done, Ez?"

Taking a deep breath, Ezra decided to come clean.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

"Vin's past was not the only one that I had investigated," confessed the gambler quickly, standing up to move closer to the window. "Actually, investigate is probably too strong a word, it was more like I had Byron cast about for certain things. For instance, I have been delving into the various records held for slave sales, in the hopes of finding one or all of Nathan's sisters. I also had Byron trace the whereabouts of the nefarious Ella Gaines."

Springing to his feet, oozing menace, Chris stalked over to stand in front of Ezra and demanded, "He have any luck?"

Looking straight up into the hooded hazel eyes, Ezra braced himself and answered simply, "Yes."

The tension in the air ratcheted up several notches and Chris grabbed hold of Ezra and snarled, "You were gonna share this information, when? After she got away again? After she killed someone else I love? Where is she? Tell me, dammit!"

Vin moved forward to put a calming hand on the black clad shoulder, whilst Ezra put his hands over the ones that had clenched his lapels, lifted him up onto his toes and shaken him. Seeing that it hadn't had the desired effect of calming the incensed man, who was breathing heavily through clenched teeth, Ezra moved his hands to either side of Chris' face.

Making sure he held his older brother's gaze, the gambler said softly, "She's dead, Chris."

For a split second it was silent and then Chris' face screwed up as he screamed, "NO! NO! I have to kill her for what she did. I have to kill her. Not you. ITS MY RIGHT!"

Having been released when Chris pushed him away, Ezra continued to hold onto the taller man's face, despite the way the Hoosier was shaking his head in denial. Vin moved up and put his arms around his brother, hugging him from behind and holding the enraged gunslinger's hands to his sides.

"I'm positive, Chris. Ella is very, very dead," assured Ezra, rubbing his thumbs over the pale cheek bones under his hands.

"Are ya sure she's dead? Could be a hoax, knowing that bitch ," asked Buck from doorway, his voice tight with suppressed emotion. Ezra looked over and realised that he hadn't locked the door after Chris entered. Josiah, Nathan and JD all clustered behind Buck, drawn from downstairs by the howls of protest from their leader.

Gesturing for them to come in and close the door again, the gambler helped Vin drag Chris over to the bed and sit him down on the edge. Taking his flask from his jacket, he unscrewed the lid and held it to his brother's lips, tilting the flask so a healthy portion poured into Chris' mouth. After waiting for the first lot to be swallowed, he poured a second slug into the shocky man's mouth and then recapped the flask and returned it to his jacket. Stroking the rough blond locks from the cool damp forehead, he took Chris' shaking gun hand and waited for his attention.

Slowly, the thoughts and emotions swirling through him like a tornado slowed down enough for Chris to realise that he was sitting down, flanked by Vin and Ezra. His hands were being held and his hair stroked, which was both comforting and completely embarrassing. Needing to know more; needing reassurance that his nightmare was actually over, Chris turned to the gambler and twisted his hand to grasp Ezra's wrist, demanding, "Tell me!"

"Ella had run to San Francisco. A foolish move, as it transpires, given the amount of contacts that I have there. As soon as she had secured a room at a hotel, she contacted a doctor, claiming to be with child and in need of care. The hotel sent her to a local doctor's office, telling her that there was no on-call facility. Dr Johanssen confirmed that she was indeed pregnant but that she had already started to lose the child and should return to her hotel room to await the inevitable, then rest and take in fluids for ten days. There was nothing he could do to save her unborn child, but she seemed to lose her somewhat tenuous grip on sanity and snapped, blaming the messenger and shooting the poor fellow dead. His nurse was in the room the whole time and saw everything. The only reasons the nurse is still alive was that she ducked behind a thick wooden desk, and the fact that there are a lot more police in San Francisco than there is in the wilds of Colorado. The shots were heard and Gaines was apprehended. As they were dragging her away, she broke away from the officers and ran for her life. In the course of reacquiring their prisoner, the police chased Gaines toward a crowd of people near a shop front. An innocent bystander drew his weapon to protect himself when the crazed woman came towards him and during the consequent struggle for the gun, Gaines was shot through the stomach by the man. They took her to the hospital, but there was too much damage to the intestines. She died a few days later of blood poisoning from the stomach wound," explained Ezra, holding onto Chris' hand the whole time. Not once did he drop eye contact, watching the hazel eyes which gazed avidly into his own green eyes. By the end of the report, it was all Ezra could do to hide the pain caused by Chris' tight grip on his hand.

Buck had kicked off his boots, shucked his jacket and guns and crawled on the bed behind Chris. Sitting cross legged, he put his big hands on Chris' bowed shoulders, trying to massage some of the tension from them. Vin sat on the other side to Ezra, holding the hand of the devastated man.

Looking up at Ezra pleadingly, Chris whispered, "How do we know it was really her? I need to know for certain, Ez."

"She was buried in a pauper's grave as a Jane Doe, but once I found out about it all, I had her body exhumed and had a photograph taken by a trusted associate. I received a copy of the police report which had a photo attached of the freshly deceased Gaines, the autopsy report and the photograph of the exhumed corpse, along with written confirmation from the nurse who was shown all the photos and declared it to be the woman from the clinic. It was definitely Ella, Chris. I'm sorry," concluded the gambler, squeezing the hand he held. Knowing how he'd have felt if he'd found the killers of his family already dead, before he'd exacted his own vengeance, made him all the more upset at having to deliver this news. Although, he'd been relieved to learn that the threat to Chris and his family was over.

Nodding slowly, Chris broke eye contact and stared down at their joined hands for a few minutes, whilst the others gave him time to gather his thoughts.

"Could the… do ya think… was the… the baby mine?"

The mournful words made every man in the room suck in their breath, but it was Ezra who answered, "It's possible, but I'm afraid we'll never know for sure, Chris."

Nodding and squeezing both the hands he held, whilst leaning back into the strong hands of his oldest friend, Chris whispered, "For the best."

Moving one hand to once again stroke the stubborn lock of hair out of his brother's eyes and then thumb a stray tear from his lean cheek, Ezra agreed, "Yes, it's for the best. Doesn't mean it doesn't hurt though. No matter the circumstances, it always hurts to lose a child."

Struggling to keep a hold on his rage, disappointment and hurt, Chris just sat and breathed deeply, squeezing tight to his two younger brothers and concentrating on the feel of Buck's big hands rubbing his shoulders. The urge to saddle up and leave town to hole up in his shack with several bottles of redeye was almost overwhelming, but he couldn't do that to his family so close to Christmas. Besides, they'd probably just ride out after him.

Vin and Ezra exchanged a startled look when they heard the wry chuckle from Chris, quickly figured out why he was laughing. They'd both been through what Chris had suffered, although Vin knew more of the unquenched thirst for vengeance, since his family's killers were untouchable.

"Perhaps you gentlemen could go down and ask Inez for a bottle of my finest Scotch? We'll be down shortly," suggested Ezra, knowing that Chris wasn't far from breaking down and also knowing that, despite how much he loved all of his brothers, he'd be mortified at crying in front of the youngest. Having Josiah and Nathan accompany JD stopped him from feeling singled out; a fact that wasn't missed by either of the older men who winked at the gambler before withdrawing.

Hearing the door close, Chris leaned into Ezra's sturdy chest and hiding his face in the younger man's neck began to weep.

Shuffling forward, Buck put his arms around both of them and shed a few of his own tears at the closing of this painful chapter in his life. Vin leaned over and rested his cheek on Chris' shoulder, gazing out of the window at the sky as hot tears slid down his stubbled cheeks.

All seven sat quietly on the two levels of the Saloon, respectfully observing the passing of innocent lives and the justice – albeit accidental – of the death of Ella Gaines. Relief too that the whole sorry mess was over, so Chris could now mourn properly and then move on with his life. Each of the other six wondered if he would choose to pursue Mary Travis now that he knew she wouldn't fall to Ella's insane possessiveness. Buck, Ezra and Vin were unsure of the match, knowing how pig-headed both Mary and Chris could be. They all knew that Chris was fond of Billy, but was he ready to be a full time father again.

The rattling of a wagon sounded loudly as it trundled down the mostly empty street. People were withdrawing to their homes, preparing for Christmas celebrations both lavish and frugal, depending on customs and circumstances. Adelia had been cooking up a storm on Ezra's orders, determined to provide a hot Christmas meal to anyone who came calling at the Bakery, regardless of whether they could afford the price or not. Ezra had declared that no-one was to be turned away that day. Adelia had just smiled and patted her boy's hand fondly, knowing his generosity of old.

Adelia, Archie and Annie MacGregor had all been invited to sit with Ezra and his family, when they came to Adelia's to dine, as had all the Travis', Inez, Rafael, Molly and Fanny, the Potters, the Wells women, Ted Jacobs and Miss Tennant. Byron had telegrammed his girl and decided to stop over in Four Corners for Christmas, since he'd missed his stage with the whole Maude saga. Ezra had also sent a messenger out to the Seminole Village, requesting the presence of Kojay, Chanu and Rain, should they feel so inclined. Most people in town had been made aware that they could go to the Bakery for a Christmas dinner and Ezra had asked Josiah to mention it at the end of his Christmas service too. With his experience of miserable, lonely Christmases, he wanted to ensure that no-one else suffered in his town.

Reluctantly pulling away from the huddle, Chris stood and made his way over to where Ezra kept a jug of water for washing and splashed some of the cool water on his face. Drying his face and hands, he gazed out of the window at the street below vacantly at first, before his eyes were drawn to a wagon that was coming into town. There was a black couple in the seat, with what looked like an entire house of furniture in the back and six children balancing precariously amongst the goods.

Buck had also gotten off the bed and stomped his boots back on before going to take his turn at the wash water. Following Chris' gaze, he said, "Huh, looks like we got us some Christmas visitors."

Vin and Ezra hurried over to look.

"Oh my stars! They're here early," exclaimed Ezra, when he saw the family, then he flew into action. A quick splash in the water, some cologne and a rough finger combing of his tousled locks and the southerner was running out the door, leaving the others staring curiously after him.

Turning back to the window, the other three men watched as their gambler ran across to the wagon and began talking to the occupants.

"Ya reckon they's relatives of Miss Adelia's?"

"Could be, Vin," answered Buck, thoughtfully stroking his moustache and watching the gambler help the lady down. Using his expert knowledge in ladies, he judged the new arrival to be a good looking woman around the age forty. She was obviously the mother of the children, her body having the lost its firmness, but she was still strong and fit.

Chuckling as he watched the children get down from the wagon and swarm around the gambler, Chris wondered where the man had learned to charm them. It certainly wasn't from Maude, who was uncomfortable around her own child, let alone those of strangers.

"They must be someone to do with Miss Adelia, 'cos he's taking them over to the Bakery," reported Chris, watching as the tall, strong, grey-haired man climbed from the wagon and took the woman's arm, smiling at the gambler who had the smallest child in his arms.

"Well, we ain't goin' ta find out anything hiding out up here," declared the Texan. Splashing some water on his face and wiping it with the towel Ezra had flung back on the dresser, he took the time to hang the towel neatly before striding out the door.

A quick glance at each other and the two older men were hot on his heels.

Having witnessed Ezra's flight through the Saloon, but stayed where they were when he'd waved them back to their seats with the breathless announcement that he'd be back in a few minutes, Nathan, Josiah and JD now watched in amazement as Vin flew across the Saloon. Their jaws dropped when Chris and Buck pounded down the stairs and weaved through the tables and chairs in pursuit of the tracker.

"Where are y'all going?"

Nathan's call was answered in unison by Buck and Chris, "Bakery!"

Unenlightened, Nathan looked to Josiah who shrugged and then to JD who was quivering with repressed curiosity. Bewildered, the man asked, "Weren't they meeting us for a drink? Ya reckon there's trouble over the baker?"

"Trouble… or more cinnamon rolls," speculated JD, drooling at the thought of Adelia's light, soft cinnamon rolls. Leaping to his feet, he shouted, "I ain't missing out. Ya coming or not?"

Seconds passed and the older two men were scurrying out after their youngest.

Inez rolled her eyes and came over to collect the unopened bottle of the good stuff to return it behind the bar before one of the other patrons appropriated it. Men! They were all loco!

TBC


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for my 'accents'. I can hear them in my head, but I can never seem to get them to sound the same on the paper. They also seem to come and go. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next instalment.

"Well, now, all y'all must be plumb tuckered out with all yo' travels. Come on in and we'll see what we can do," welcomed Adelia, unphased by the number of people who had landed on her doorstep. Ushering them on through to the back, she ordered, "Now, the outhouse is just out there, so ya older chillun be sure 'n yer help the younguns. Then ya get yoselves back in her lickety-split, ya here! No dawdlin'."

Ezra set down the child he carried and gave her a little pat on the butt to encourage her to follow her siblings. Then he obediently followed Adelia's gesture to come upstairs and collect her bathtub to bring it down to the kitchen.

"It will be easier to give 'em all a good dunking, than to get hands and faces washed," announced Adelia firmly, heaving a large cauldron of chicken and dumplings that she'd intended on feeding to Ezra and the other six that night, onto the stove to heat. Then she put some of her fresh bread into the warmer oven. Hearing the bell over her front door tinkle again, she huffed and complained, "Now, who's that coming? I ain't expecting no-one until tanight."

Following Adelia, Ezra choked back his laughter when he saw Vin, Chris and Buck at the door trying to look nonchalant but failing miserably.

"What are y'all doing here so early? Ya supposed to be coming over for supper," scolded Adelia, her hands on her generous hips and a scowl on her face that was belied by the twinkle in her eyes. She knew that they'd followed Ezra.

Blushing, Vin looked down at his boots and tried to melt back behind Buck. Baker had run after the men, enjoying the activity immensely, and had run all the way through to the kitchen where he was met with squeals of delight from the first children to return from the outhouse.

"Well, since ya hear, ya might as well make yerself useful. Go on over to the bathhouse and bring back a couple o' buckets of hot water each. I got dirty kids to bathe," ordered Adelia, before turning on her heel, winking at Ezra and heading back into the kitchen.

Seeing the avid curiosity, Ezra sighed and walked across the eatery towards the men near the doors. Seeing the other three heading towards them from the Saloon, he groaned. He wasn't ready for Nathan yet. Looking pleadingly at Buck, he begged, "Buck, could you get JD, Nathan and Josiah to help bring the water? I promise, I'll explain everything in just a little while. Oh, and can you bring the water through the back door. Adelia will have us all down on hands and knees scrubbing the floor if we slop water, or track mud, over her floors. Trust me, I speak from experience."

Nodding agreeably, the lanky lothario turned to head his brothers off and redirect them towards the bathhouse.

Chris and Vin followed Ezra as he returned to the kitchen. On their appearance, the couple who had been sitting at the table smiling fondly at three of their offspring playing with the puppy, rose to their feet. Wariness replaced affection in their eyes, as the woman slid to hide the child on her hip behind her husband.

Saddened but understanding, Ezra smiled reassuringly and said placatingly, "No need to fear, Miz Charity, these are my family and fellow peacekeepers. No harm will befall you in this town if any of us can help it, as I told you. This is Mr Chris Larabee, our leader, and this is Mr Vin Tanner, our tracker. Mr Tanner is intimately familiar with your circumstances, only just having a bounty rescinded from his shaggy head for a crime he didn't commit."

Looking sharply at the gambler, Vin wondered at the reference.

"Vin, Chris, this is Mr Joseph Campbell, his wife Charity and their charmin' children, Joseph Junior, Chastity, Nate, Homer, Vernon and little Maisy. Charity is one of our Nathan's older sisters, whom I'd managed to track down," explained the gambler, smiling at the family.

"Your Nathan," growled Charity, her jaw clenched in the same way Nathan's did when he was about to issue one of his lectures on morality.

"Oh hush up now, girl," cautioned Adelia, knowing what had gotten both Adelia and her quiet husband's hackles up and heading off any confusion from the start. "Mr Ezra hasn't got a bigoted bone in his body. He's always treated me right kind and he'll treat you the same. As to him laying claim to Mr Nathan, well, I reckon he's got the right of it. The seven men who protect this town don't have no blood shared 'tween 'em, other than what they's spilled looking out fer each other, but they's kin all the same. Mr Ezra called him that 'cos he sees him as one of his family, that's all. They's been family fer a while now, so you just want to accept it and take it as fact. Ya do and ya'll find ya'll got more family than ya had this mornin'."

Dropping their eyes, Charity and Joe looked ashamed of their assumptions.

Just then there was a clattering at the back door as the other men arrived with the hot water. Once again skittering nervously to hide behind her husband, Charity waited to find out who these new men were.

Taking one of the buckets off Josiah, Adelia poured it into the waiting tub. Josiah poured his other bucket in too. Nathan and JD each gave a bucket to Joe Junior and Ezra and all the buckets were soon empty and stacked by the back door, waiting to be taken back to the bathhouse.

Moving forward, Ezra took hold of Nathan's arm and gently pulled him over to where Charity was hiding. Keeping a calming hand on the healer's strong back, the gambler said softly, "I wanted to prepare you for this, but fate had other plans. Nathan, I had someone go through the slave sale records in Atlanta and managed to find one of your sisters."

Pausing when Nathan gasped and his knees gave out a little, Ezra smoothly slid his shoulder under Nathan's arm to shore him up. Sliding his hand over and around, he took hold of Nathan's waist and continued, "This gentleman is your brother-in-law, Joseph Campbell. The lady behind him is your sister, Charity. All of these children are your nieces and nephews."

Charity peered out from around her husband's broad shoulder and smiled timidly at her brother. They hadn't seen each other since they'd been children and both had seen a lot of hardship since then. Seeing nothing but stunned joy on Nathan's face, she slowly moved out from behind Joe and handed Maisy over to her husband. Sidling up to Nathan, she reached out to lay a trembling hand on his tear dampened cheek and said, "You sure got tall, Natty."

Hearing his childhood nickname broke through Nathan's trance and he pulled his sister into an enormous bear hug, sobbing into her shoulder. His knees gave out and he sank to the floor with his sister in his arms.

Clinging just as hard to her brother, Charity cried and soothed, "S'all right, Natty. We's tagether agin. No massers ta tear us apart no more."

Discretely looking away, most wiping a tear from their eye, the others busied themselves by taking the buckets back to the bathhouse. Ezra stayed on to help Adelia bathe the children in age order starting with Maisy, who was firmly warned against peeing in the bath by Vernon, whilst Joe Snr went out to the wagon to get their clean change of clothes. Once the youngest four were clean and wrapped in towels by the stove, Ezra and the boys were all told to turn their backs whilst Chastity bathed. By the time she'd taken her turn, her father was back and all the clean children hurried into their clothes and were taken into the other room to wait with Joe Snr. Then Joe Jnr hurriedly took his bath, after gratefully dumping a freshly arrived bucket of hot water into the now cooled and scummy bathwater.

Adelia ladled out bowls of chicken and dumplings to take out to the hungry family. Once she was gone, Ezra poured out glasses of milk and a mug of coffee to take out to them. Upon his return to the kitchen, he knelt beside the healer and his sister and laid a hand on each one's shoulder.

"I hesitate to intrude, but I think perhaps it would be wise for you both to have some nourishment," offered Ezra softly, "At the very least a hot drink. This has all been a bit of a shock to you both, albeit a very pleasant one."

Sniffling, then accepting the pristine handkerchief that magically appeared in the gambler's hand, Nathan wiped his face and blew his nose loudly. Being a mother, Charity had many handkerchiefs about her person and pulled one out to affect her own clean up. Then Nathan accepted Ezra's help in standing, before turning to help his sister up off the floor. A beaming grin threatened to split his face as he held his sister's hands tight, unable to believe that after all these years, she was standing right in front of him. The mirror image of his grin shone back at him from Charity's face.

Discretely herding the two towards the kitchen table, Ezra placed a hot cup of coffee in front of each that he'd dosed with liberal amounts of sugar. Glancing into the main room, he took note of the fact that his brothers were back for the most part, but that Josiah and Joseph were missing. Assuming that the ex-preacher had offered to show their guest to the bathhouse, he nodding and beckoned for Vin to come over.

"Vin, can you help me empty the tub and move it back upstairs, please? I thought Miz Charity would be more comfortable bathing upstairs with some privacy," asked Ezra, gesturing to where the tub stood with it's murky, cold water.

"Sure Ez," shrugged the easy going tracker, going to get a couple of the buckets and helping to scoop out the water, taking it out back to dump on Adelia's vegetable garden. Feeling twinges in his back, he looked up guiltily when heard twin tuts from Ezra and Nathan.

"Give me that," demanded the healer, striding across to take the bucket off Vin.

"Why didn't you say that your back was sore today," scolded Ezra lightly, feeling guilty for even asking the tracker to help him and wishing he'd called Buck or JD.

"Weren't that bad," scowled the Texan, huffing as he was pointed towards the kitchen table but going to sit there anyway, "I just jarred it a mite this mornin' when me n' Buck hit the floor. Ain't worth all this fuss, pair o' mother hens ya are."

Pausing in his bailing, Ezra lifted an eyebrow and directed a stare at the Texan that had the younger man squirming even before the honeyed tones drawled, "Well, then I guess y'all won't be wanting this mother hen to rub that back o' yours, since it 'ain't worth the fuss'."

Grinning at the perfect imitation, as well as the effect of the gambler's words, Nate set his bucket down and winked at his smiling sister.

"No need ter be hasty, Ez. Ain't that bad, but it ain't that good neither. I reckon a rub wouldn't do any harm," weaselled the tracker, looking up with wide innocent eyes, knowing that none of his older brothers could resist the 'big eyes'. He'd overheard Buck saying that both he and JD had the 'big eyes' down pat and that the look should be outlawed.

Shaking his head at the younger man's antics, Ezra put his bucket down too and asked, "Oh you reckon not, huh?"

"Ain't worth riskin'" answered Vin solemnly, "Don't wanna wake up Christmas mornin' and not be able ta move. I's lookin' forward ter tomorra."

Grinning wide enough to expose his gold tooth and dimples, Ezra agreed, "Me too. Guess we'll just have to give you that back rub after all."

Sitting back with a smug grin, Vin nodded with satisfaction at having won.

Laughing, Ezra and Nathan lifted the tub to carry it outside to empty what was left of the water. Charity rose and lifted an empty pail to fill and take out to rinse the tub.

Vin stealthily arose and gestured for JD, Buck and Josiah to join him, explaining the need for more water. The men nodded, took up the pails and made their way to bathhouse once more.

After Charity had retired upstairs to take her bath, the men all made for the front room. The adults were all waiting on Nathan's sister before eating their meals. Adelia had gone back to the kitchen to carry on with her preparations.

"So, what is it you do for a living, Mr Campbell?"

The tall, quiet man looked over at JD and answered in a soft, deep voice, "I can do most things, sir. I's been working farms all mah life, so's I can do most anything ta do wit farmin' 'r animals."

Flustered by the older man calling him sir, JD blushed and said, "You don't need to call me sir, Mr Campbell. My name's JD and you're welcome to use it. Any friend of Nate's is a friend of ours, right fellas?"

Nods came from those sitting at the table. The children had moved over to a cleared bit of floor and were playing quietly with a deck of cards given to them by the gambler, used to amusing themselves. Joe's smile widened a little and he nodded respectfully, still not used to being a free man amongst white folk.

"I'm not sure that anyone's hiring round here, since it's winter 'n all," said JD, thinking hard for any work opportunities.

"Not to worry, JD, I've already found suitable employment for the Campbells," announced Ezra, sitting at the table in his vest and shirt sleeves, shuffling his cards contentedly.

"Really? With who?"

"With whom. And to answer your grammatically incorrect question, there is a small farm holding not far from the Wells' place. The house is somewhat small but is in good repair and even has a lot of its furnishings intact. There is a barn and a corral suitable for holding a couple of horses and a milk cow, not to mention a chicken shed and another low shed that may have originally been used for swine. It's perfect farming land for someone who knows how to do so, however, the previous owners were not knowledgeable enough to make a go of it," replied the gambler, keeping his eyes on the cards in his hands.

Peering suspiciously at his brother, Vin asked, "Ya talkin' 'bout the Murrays' place, ain'tcha? Heard that Mrs Murray went back East ta nurse her father and refused ter come back. Ole Dan's been hitting the bottle pretty hard ever since, letting the place go. Found his cow in Netty's yard a month back."

"That is indeed the place, Vin," agreed Ezra benignly, refusing to look any of them in the eye as he sensed the anger from a few of them.

"Heard that Dan Murray lost his place to the bank and was in threat of becoming a danger to himself before he came into a bit of a windfall and decided to buy himself passage back East to try and win his wife back," observed Josiah sagely, his hooded eyes on his boy, knowing that Ezra had been behind the farmer's change in circumstance. Sensing the unjustified anger, he sought to diffuse it before any hurt befell his son.

"I had heard something similar myself," concurred the southerner mildly, switching to some of his fancier shuffles.

"What did you do, you old fraud," demanded Buck, leaning in on the table to fix Ezra with his midnight blue eyes.

"Me? What makes you think I had anything to do with it?"

"'Cos we know you," answered Chris shortly, glaring his younger brother as he became frustrated with the lack of answers. "Now quit dancing and answer the damn question."

"Language, Chris, there are delicate ears present," chided Ezra, flicking his eyes over to where the children were clustered, enjoying the chagrined look on the older man's face. Deciding to take pity on his curious brothers, he said, "I happened to be riding patrol that way when I came upon Mr Murray in a moment of weakness. I engaged him in conversation and learned of his sad situation over a game of chance. During the course of that game, Mr Murray won a not insubstantial amount of money off me. I must have been overly tired that day or possibly sickening with something, else I can't think how he would have won."

"Oh yeah, that'd be it," snarked Vin, poking the gambler in the ribs and earning himself an emerald glare that held no real heat. Any anger he'd felt at the situation was gone now.

Shrugging carelessly, Ezra continued, "In any case, the man packed up his goods and returned to Four Corners with me, taking the stage out the next day. I realised that it was a prime opportunity so hastened to see Mr Merton at the bank and bought the property from him at a very reasonable price. As you all know, I'm not partial to menial labour, so I needed tenants. It was remarkably fortuitous that I was to find such a treasure as Mr Campbell and his family. They will be able to undertake all the hard labour, whilst I reap the financial rewards."

Unable to help himself, Nathan asked suspiciously, "Just how generous are these rewards, Ez? Ya ain't lookin' to pull one over on ma sister, are ya?"

A quick flash of hurt showed in the green eyes, before they were lowered to the cards again.

"Nathan! That was uncalled for," came an unexpected voice, along with a slap to the back of the healer's head, "You apologise to Mr Standish right now, ya hear me, boy!"

"Ow! Dammit, sis, why'd you do that? Ya don't know him like I do. Ez can't help himself when it comes to money…"

Vin put his hand on Ezra's arm to stop the man from leaving the table.

Chris growled, "Nathan, you'd best be shutting up and doing some thinking now. Just who was it who spent his own money to pay someone to find your family for you? And who was it who spent his own money to buy that fancy clinic that you're learning to be a doctor in? And who was it who spent his own money to make sure that your sister's family had a home to come to near you?"

Shame flooded the healer he realised that he fallen back on old prejudices. Rubbing the back of his head, Nathan looked over at Ezra and felt even worse when he saw how badly he'd hurt his friend. Eyes shining with sincerity, Nathan leaned forward and said, "I'm real sorry, Ezra. I got no excuse for what I said just know and humbly beg you to forgive me."

Voice light and airy, revealing none of the despair he felt at the attack, Ezra looked up and replied, "It's quite alright, Mr… Nathan."

"No, it ain't. But I'm sorry anyway. Wish I could take the words back, but I can't," lamented Nathan, horrified that he'd once again jeopardised his friendship with the quirky southerner.

"In any case, to answer your question, I will get a flat ten percent of any yearly profit. A further forty percent of the profit will go towards the interest free mortgage. The rest of the profits will go towards running the farm and the family. This will continue until the cost of the property is recovered in full, at which time the farm and all profits will belong to the Campbells."

Stunned, Nathan sat back and gaped at Ezra.

"Yo friend offered us a chance to own our own land, Natty. Wish Mama 'n Daddy was still alive so's they could see us now. You learning to be a proper doctor and me 'n my family farming ours own land – well, almost. Never woulda believed it iffun ya'd told me 'bout this day back when we's on Jackson's farm," stated Charity, her eyes brimming with thankful tears as she stood behind her husband, clasping his broad shoulders tightly.

Suddenly, Nathan remembered that Ezra had been looking for all his sisters and he mentally smacked himself for not asking earlier. Looking at the now cagey gambler and cursing himself for putting that look back on his friend, Nathan blurted, "Did you have any luck finding Hope and Faith?"

A chill swept the room as all the Campbells looked down and Ezra's face took on a look of sympathy. Nathan knew he wasn't going to like the news about to be imparted.

TBC


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following is unpleasant. I warn you now.

Ezra really didn't want to be the one to bring bad news to his friend. Before he'd even started the search, he'd realised that the chances of a positive outcome were slim. So many of the slaves had fled, scattered across the land both during and after the war, that he knew he probably wouldn't have any luck. Then he'd found Charity and managed to convince her to come settle near her brother and his hopes had arisen, only to be crushed by what the woman had told him. The news of her other sisters was a bitter pill to swallow.

Vin and Chris exchanged an apprehensive look at the uncharacteristic sorrow on their brother's face. Josiah shuffled his chair closer to Nathan and rested a strong arm around the back of his friend's chair, ready to offer comfort when needed, an action that was keenly noted by the Campbells.

A pall of sadness was cast over the table as Charity took one of Nathan's large hands in both hers and said solemnly, "Ain't no point in looking for Hope or Faith, Natty. Hope's sold ter the plantation next ta the one I's sold ta. I's a house slave wit' a kind mistress, but Hope weren't so lucky. She a field worker, picking cotton. Ya know she's never the same after she got so sick when she's little. Working out in the hot sun all hours of the day, not enough food and a shack ta sleep in, when the masser let her sleep… well, weren't long for her heart just up and gave on her, bless her soul. She's only sixteen when they lay her sweet soul ta rest."

Images of laughing eyes in a thin face flashed across Nathan's memory as he bowed his head in sorrow. Suspicions that his sisters were all dead didn't compare to the solid knowledge. Grasping the work roughened hand of his living sister, he croaked past a grief tight throat, "'n Faith?"

Sniffing, Charity looked over to her brood of children, making sure that they were fully occupied with their games before answering, "Faith's bought by a man who liked his women young, dark 'n fresh. He used her for his pleasure 'til she got too old fo' his taste , then sold her ta a nearby whorehouse. Woman who owned the house was worsen any man, makin' the girls work all hours and take any sorts of treatment."

Buck grimaced and looked down, knowing exactly what sorts of treatment Nathan's sister would have been subjected to in a badly run cathouse. Looking back up and around at his brothers, he saw that most of them held the same knowledge. JD was looking sick, even though his knowledge wasn't as extensive as the other men. Having seen what Wicks did to Nora, the boy did have a bit of a clue though. Slinging an arm around his young brother, Buck gave him a brief squeeze of comfort.

Josiah tightened his hold on his young friend, feeling the tremors that quaked though the broad shoulders under his arm. Reaching over with his free hand, he took hold of Nathan's forearm in a warm, reassuring grip, rumbling, "We're here for you, Nathan."

Glancing around wildly at the men and women at the table, Nathan's hand tightened into a fist, nails digging into the flesh of his palm.

Ezra's hand was on Vin's forearm as the younger man leaned into his shoulder. Vin's other hand had grabbed hold of Chris' jacket, clenching a handful tightly. Chris sat with a hand on his gun, glaring down at the table with teeth clenched so hard his jaw had locked.

"Poor little Faith was old 'fore her time, weary and used up by the time she was seventeen. Never did bear no youngun's to any o' the men who took her, which was a mercy, but she lost a lot of babies 'fore their time. Caught herself one of those sicknesses from one of the dirty men. Once all the sores and rashes came out, they tried to cover them up so she could still work but her f..face. Oh Natty, her pretty face was all…"

Having had the misfortune of seeing a man who'd died of syphilis once, Nathan swallowed hard against the bile that rose in his throat and squeezed Charity's hand hard in the hopes of stopping her from describing what his imagination had already vividly supplied. Josiah had seen such cases, as well as lepers, on his travels and he grieved for the pretty young woman he'd never met. Buck knew the stigma attached to girls with diseases, since they'd never been allowed to work in any of the cathouses that his mother was in. Patting JD's shoulder, he prayed that Faith had met a kinder end than some of his mother's friends who'd caught something and been forced to leave or worse.

Sobbing silently for a few moments, Charity clutched Nathan's hand and hid her face in her handkerchief. Finally, lifting her tear washed eyes, she continued in a hushed voice, "When it looked like she'd be forced to leave… to starve on the streets like a stray dog, Faith took herself down to the river. Weighting her dress with rocks in her pockets, she sent a last prayer to God for forgiveness for her sins and the sin she was about to commit and she… she laid down and let the waters wash her clean of her pain and earthly sufferin'. I's prayin' she's at peace now, Natty. At peace with Hope, Mama and Daddy."

A solemn quiet filled the room, broken only by the whispers of the children as they continued to play with their cards and Baker. Joseph had returned from the bathhouse and moved to stand behind his wife, rubbing her shoulders as she sobbed silently into her handkerchief again. His deep, soft voice was thick with misery as he added, "Folk never found no body, but one of the other girls in the house knew that Faith had a sister nearby, so she asked one of the older cathouse kids to find her. Hank walked near three days to get to us and tell my woman 'bout her sister. Only stopped the night and then set out to walk back to his mama. Wish I coulda done more for that boy. Ain't no kind a life for a boy his age."

Buck nodded, knowing that he'd have done the same if his mama had asked. Clearing his throat roughly, he said, "Hank will be alright. Once he gets to be the right age and size, his mama will find work on one of the nearby ranches with one of her visitors. Believe me, Joe, those women don't have nothin' but their kids and they protect them like mama bears and their cubs. Hank will be alright, his mama will make sure of it."

Noting the tone of certainty and inside knowledge, or perhaps just not used to gainsaying white folk, Joseph just nodded.

Maisy scampered over to the table and tugged on her mother's skirt, holding her arms up imperiously. Glad for the distraction, Charity lifted the little scamp up onto her lap and held her tight. Sensing that their exile was over, the other children started to make their way over to the table. Vernon eyed up the wild and woolly looking tracker and decided he would make an excellent friend, clambering up onto the startled man's lap. Homer had made a similar decision about the gambler, earlier in the day and was already sitting on his lap of choice. Joseph Jnr went to stand next to his father, too old for laps. Chastity seemed quite taken with Chris, smiling at him shyly and fluttering her eyes innocently, much to gunslinger's alarm. He knew from his experiences growing up with sisters, that that sort of look never bode well for a male, man or boy. Nathan came up beside his Uncle and namesake and looked at him with all the curiosity of a ten year old boy.

Tugging on a sleeve to get Nathan's undivided attention, little Nate asked, "Is you really my uncle?"

Looking down into a face that looked a little like his own, but mostly like his father's, Nathan grinned and said, "Yup, I sure am."

"Is your name Nathan too," continued the small interrogator, climbing up to sit on the healer's lap facing his uncle, reaching out to play with the buttons on his shirt.

"It sure is, just like yours," confirmed the tall man, grinning happily at his nephew. HIS nephew, don't that beat all, thought the man. Woke up that morning with no blood kin, just an odd assortment of contrary, crazy white folk for brothers, now he had his sister, a brother-in-law, two nieces and four nephews! As well as his adopted family.

"I only gets called Nathan when I's in trouble though. Mostly I get called Nate or Gator," confessed the boy, undoing the buttons and then doing them up again industriously.

Eyebrow raised, Nathan asked, "That so? Get in trouble a lot? And why Gator?"

"'Cos he grins like a big ole alligator every time he's up to no good and that's most of the dang time," informed Joe Jnr, in the disgruntled tones of a put upon older brother.

Everyone turned to see 'Gator's' response to this assault to his good character, only to be treated to the wide, innocent grin that only a mischievous little boy – or a charismatic, southern gambler, or a blue eyed, scruffy Texan – could get away with. Nathan laughed and hugged the boy close, revelling in this new found family.

Vernon poked Vin in the chest and piped up with, "You ever seen an injun, mister? Or a bear?"

"Yeah, I's seen both. Lived with the People for a spell. Why?"

"Ya'll lived with injuns? Honest? Ya ever scalped anybody?"

Grimacing, Vin shook his head and drawled, "The People ain't tha ones who started that whole scalping thing. Indians I lived with were just regular folk, minding their own business 'n living their lives peaceful like."

"Oh," replied the somewhat deflated boy, feeling deprived of bloodthirsty tales, before he suddenly perked up and demanded, "But y'all have shot a bear, right?"

"Reckon I's shot all kinds o' critters when tha need arose," drawled Vin, throwing desperate looks to his silently laughing southern brother. Ezra was the one who was good with kids, not him. Seeing no help there, he turned to Chris, but the dark clad man had problems of his own with a seemingly love struck twelve year old girl attached limpet-like to his arm and giggling at him.

Somewhat disconcerted by the intense scrutiny of the nine year old currently occupying his lap, Ezra finally had to ask, "What is it about mah person that you find so utterly compelling, young man?"

This did not get the response he was hoping for as Homer scrabbled to kneel, with two of the sharpest, boniest knees that Ezra had ever had to misfortune to encounter, on Ezra's sturdy thighs. Once he'd attained the height he needed, the boy put his hand on the gambler's cheeks and tilted the man's head this way and that.

"Son, you really need to learn about personal boundaries," drawled the southerner, desperately holding onto the child's legs as he tried to lessen the chance of one of those treacherous knees landing somewhere vital to his future happiness. "What are y'all looking for?"

"You's got gold in your mouth, mister!"

The incredulous tone of voice, implying that the wonders of the universe were to be found in the gambler's mouth, caused his brothers to snigger.

"That's nothing. Ole Ez has a silver tongue and all," sniped Vin, happy to have the conversation changed.

This prompted more dangerous wiggling and scrutiny, neither of which were appreciated by the beleaguered man. Glaring at Vin, Ezra set the boy straight by obligingly snarling up a lip to show off his tooth before poking his tongue out at Vin.

"It ain't silver, mister. It's the same colour as mine," declared Homer, setting back down in disappointment.

Smiling and sighing with relief, Ezra patted the boy's shoulder and said, "It's a figure of speech, Homer. To say that someone has a silver tongue is to say that they're charming, eloquent, witty…"

"And long winded," interrupted Vin, cheekily, poking Ezra in the ribs.

Laugher erupted from the assembled people as Ezra blushed and stammered.

TBC


	27. Chapter 27

Sneaking into the church, Ezra furtively scanned the quiet interior for any signs of his friend. Seeing none, he crept swiftly to the back room where the older man lived and let himself in after listening to the door for signs of life behind it. He knew he'd left Josiah in the Saloon with the others as they enjoyed a nightcap or two together, but it paid to be cautious. They'd had a lovely dinner with Miss Adelia and Nathan's family, then set the Campbells up in the hotel

Carefully, he removed the slender parcel from within the burlap sap he carried and laid it on the crate that the preacher used as a table beside his bed. Tweaking the ribbon a little to perk up and straighten the bow, the gambler smiled fondly and left as quietly as he'd entered.

Stops were made at Nathan's living quarters, then Buck and JD's rooms at the boarding house, before going to the bakery and the doctor's surgery. The once bulging bag was soon empty and neatly folded and tucked underneath the merrily whistling man's arm. Heading back to the livery, Ezra spent a pleasant half hour grooming and spoiling his horse.

Sheepishly, he admitted to himself that he may have gone a little overboard with presents for his brethren this year, but decided he didn't care. Some weren't meant to be opened in front of an audience, not even if the audience were family, hence his current skulking. These were the gifts that he'd managed to secrete in the recipient's quarters, to be found later that night. The other trifles would be opened at the group breakfast they'd planned at the Saloon the next morning. Inez would be feeding them breakfast, then they'd be moving over to Adelia's Bakery to help her prepare the lunchtime feast for all and sundry. Grinning widely, Ezra lost himself in the daydream of the gaiety that would be found within the community tomorrow. It would be his best Christmas since he lost his beloved family, as well as the best ever for his young brother, Vin. If anyone deserved all the trappings of a festive yuletide, it was the young Texan, having missed out on so much warmth, love and festivity in his childhood.

Brushing himself down and washing his hands under the pump at the back of the livery, Ezra prepared himself to go and sit beside his mother for an hour. He had a book of poetry tucked into his coat pocket, knowing that Maude had sometimes enjoyed his reading when she'd been tired or ill in the past. Hopefully she would enjoy it now.

That night, Josiah strolled through his church, pride filling his massive chest as he stopped to gaze around at the freshly sanded and stained pews gleaming in the soft candlelight. His breath crystallised in front of him in the cold, still air and he took a moment to reflect on his blessings before making his rounds to extinguish all the cheery little flames. Taking up his last lit candle, he carried it carefully into his little room and put it on the table. After shutting the door, he stoked up the potbelly stove that his boy had insisted on having installed for him, then started to undress for bed.

Dropping down to sit on his new bed with a groan, Josiah carefully set his candle on the crate beside his bed.

"What in the world…" mumbled the preacher, reaching for the gaily wrapped parcel sitting propped against his bible. A huge toothy grin spread across his grizzled face as he guessed that Ezra had been making his rounds as Santa's helper. Eagerly undoing the ribbon, he put it to one side to take to Hannah, knowing how much she loved a brightly coloured piece of ribbon for her long grey hair. Carefully folding back the bandanna that Ezra had used to wrap his present, Josiah sucked in a breath as his heart squeezed tight with emotion. In his large, work roughened hands, he held an elegantly framed painting of himself and Hannah. They were seated on a blanket in a meadow like the one they used to play in as children. He was leaning back on his hands with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankles, whilst Hanna sat next to him with her legs curled to the side and her head resting on his shoulder. It was so life like, that he could almost feel his sister's skin under the finger he trailed over her cheek. Fat tears rolled down his own cheeks as he gazed at the loving eyes, eyes clear of confusion and pain for the first time in years. Holding his new treasure to his chest, Josiah whispered, "Thank you, son."

Across the town in his clinic, Nathan was sitting on his bed in much the same stunned state as his old friend but his framed painting was of himself and his father. The look of pride on Obediah's face was the same one he'd seen on his father's face the last time he'd seen him. The painting had Nathan seated at his table with an open book in front of him and his father standing behind him. There was a sort of aura around his father, making it seem like he wasn't quite real compared to his own figure in the painting. Seeing that strong hand clamped onto his painted self's shoulder, Nathan could almost feel it now. Sniffing, he told his father, "Me and Charity will look after ourselves down here. You look after Mama, Faith and Hope, Daddy. Love all ya'll and miss you."

"Buck!"

Stunned by the painting he'd found left for him on his bed, Buck turned slowly at the call of his name. There at his door was his little brother clutching a frame of his own. The two moved towards each other and gazed down at each other's paintings. Both were of them were with their mamas, each posed standing at their sons' shoulders. JD was sitting at his favourite fishing spot, with his fishing pole in his hand. His mama was kneeling behind him, with her arms draped around his shoulders and her chin on his head. A soft smile lit her face, which was plump and rosy just as he remembered it from his childhood. She seemed to be lit with an inner glow, giving her an almost ethereal beauty as she gazed lovingly at her son.

Buck's painting was of him standing beside a campfire, a broad grin on his face as though he had just finished telling one of his tall tales. His hands were resting in front of him, his thumbs hooked in his gun belt. Standing beside him in a soft blue dress was his mama. Like Nathan's Daddy and JD's mama, she seemed to possess an otherworldly glow as she stood with her arms around her boy's waist, resting her chin on his shoulder. A grin very much like his own adorned her face and her blue eyes sparkled with mischief and mirth. Her long, curly brown hair was mostly caught back in a ribbon, but wisps escaped to frame her beautiful face. Buck raised his hand to his cheek, as he felt the phantom brush of a stray curl.

"Who do ya think left 'em for us, Buck? Only people who's ever seen my photo of my mama is you, Vin and Ez. Since you've got one, guess it must have been Vin or Ez, huh?"

"Don't think it would be Vin. He never has two bits to rub together, so no way he could afford these frames," mused Buck, rubbing his thumb along the smooth polished surface of the frame.

"Vin's real handy though," argued the boy, "He could've made the frames."

Frowning, Buck nodded and said, "Yeah, but I still think it was Ez. Did you look at any of the pictures in the old MacPhail place? They all look sort of the same. I mean, they're of different things, but they're painted the same, ya know. Just seems more like ole Ez's sort of thing too. Can't see Vin messing around with paints. It would take space and one of those upright holding things and everything. Where would that scruffy tracker keep all of that when he lives in a wagon?"

"We've been in Ez's room and he don't have any fancy painting stuff up there," refuted the boy, querulously. A huge yawn broke from JD and he held his picture to his chest with one hand as he raised the other to rub over his tired eyes.

Seeing that his friend was fractious with fatigue, Buck soothed, "Well, arguing ain't goin' to tell us who the artist is, so I suggest we get some shut-eye and ask around tomorrow."

Huffing at being treated like a recalcitrant toddler, JD muttered his good night and went back to his room, still clutching his photo like a child hugging his stuffed animal.

Shaking his head fondly, Buck shut and locked his door and went about getting ready for bed. Setting his painting on the dresser, he kissed his fingers and lightly touched them to his mother's face, whispering, "'Night, Ma. Miss you still, but I've got a family to look after again, so I'm doin' all right."

Lifting up the paper and ribbon that his painting had come in, Buck was surprised to find another smaller painting under another fold. He'd unwrapped the parcel as it lay on the bed and the first painting had distracted him. Swallowing hard against the lump that lodged painfully in his throat, the tall man sat on the bed as his legs suddenly gave. The second painting was of himself holding a small, golden-haired boy who was looking up at him with adoration shining from his large, hazel eyes. In the background stood Chris, with his arms wrapped around Sarah's waist as she stood in front of him, both smiling with joy at Buck and Adam. Chris and Sarah stood on the porch of a homestead, whilst he knelt beside Adam as the boy leaned against him, sharing secrets.

Oh lord, how he missed that sweet boy and his wonderful mother!

At least now he knew who the mystery artist was, thought Buck as he swiped at his wet cheeks and stood to place the painting reverently on the dresser beside the one of him and his Ma. The gambler had gotten him to describe Adam and Sarah to him in great detail one night on the trail, when the two of them were returning from a prisoner escort. Sucking in a huge lungful of air, he whooshed it back out, then smiled tremulously at his two families. Now he just needed a picture of the seven and his collection would be complete. Knowing that Ezra planned to have them all pose for him when the photographer was in town, he knew that he'd be shelling out for a copy of the photograph too. Sliding a finger down the smooth wood of one of the frames, he wondered if Ezra would tell him where he could get another one. Snorting, he figured the fancy man would probably have a small stock of them ready for the photos to come.

"Hey Ez, how's yer Ma doin'?"

Glancing over to where Vin was snuggled down in the middle of the bed with only his sleepy eyes and the top of his shaggy head showing, Ezra grinned as he sat on the edge of the bed and started removing his footwear, replying, "She and Archie are getting along famously, Vin. If I didn't know that Archie was penniless and that Mother was avaricious to the core, I'd be predicting a wedding. As it is, they are trying to outdo each other in telling outrageous, and mostly fallacious, stories of my exploits. The care that she is receiving from both Archie and Nathan is guaranteeing a swift recuperation. Not swift enough that she will be able to attend our festivities tomorrow, but then Mother was never really a supporter of the yuletide season. Except in the increase of good will shown by her fellow man, of which she was ever hasty to take advantage, to her monetary advantage."

"Damn, it's colder than a well digger's ass out there," exclaimed Chris, as he burst through the door. Ignoring the drawn gun of his startled brother, he kicked the door shut and locked it before hurrying over to the bed. Scrambling out of the coat that he'd donned over his long johns for his unexpectedly needed trip to the privy, he kicked his boots off and dove under the covers, shoving his frozen feet and hands under the warm tracker.

"Sweet Mary, Mother o' God, Larabee! Keep ya damned hands 'n feet ta yerself. I ain't ya personal hot pig, ya know," yelled Vin, arching his back away from the gunslinger's frozen hands before slapping and pushing at Chris in disgust at having his warm cocoon disturbed.

Despite the assault, Chris laughed and tried to put his still cold hands on any exposed Tanner skin, making the thin-blooded Texan hiss and squeal when he succeeded.

Chuckling at their antics, Ezra finished undressing and went over to put his clothes away. When he returned to the bed a truce had been called and so he held out two parcels; silently offering one to each man when they looked up at the subtle clearing of the southerner's throat.

"Aw Ez, what ya gone 'n done now. Ain't Christmas 'til tomorra," mumbled Vin, accepting his parcel carefully nonetheless. "I only gotcha the one thing, so ya gonna have ta wait 'til tomorra fer it."

Excitement tempered by the solemn expression on the gambler's face, Vin glanced at Chris before slowly unwrapping his parcel. His breath caught as the face of his lost love gazed back at him, looking just as beautiful as he remembered, right down to the defiantly tilted chin, proud smile and sparkling eyes. Running his fingers lightly over the painting, he smiled through his tears as he remembered the day that Nakoma had presented him with the corn bread that she'd made just for him. It had been horrible, but he'd manfully chewed his way through it, smiling and thanking her for it afterwards much to the amusement of the other men and women. Beaming with pride, Nakoma had nodded as though satisfied and gone to get him a bowl of stew. He'd prayed to the Great Spirit that she hadn't made it and the smirk on Nakoma's father's face told him that his prayer hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Got no words, Ez," choked Vin, reaching out a hand towards his brother as he held his painting to his chest.

Grasping the hand firmly, the southerner replied, "No words are necessary, Vin."

Chris laid his unopened gift in his lap and held a hand out in silent request. A shy smile curved Vin's lips as he slowly handed the painting to his older brother.

"She's beautiful, Vin. Who is she?"

Pride and love battled with sorrow for dominance over the tracker's features before the former won and he answered quietly, "'s ma wife, Nakoma. Army kilt her 'n the b…b-baby in her belly, along with all tha others in tha camp when me 'n tha menfolk was out huntin'."

Silenced by the lump in his throat, Chris reached up to place his hand on the back of Vin's neck, giving it a reassuring squeeze. United in their shared grief, the three brothers sat silently for a few moments.

Giving Vin back his precious gift, Chris sniffled and began unwrapping his own parcel, praying it was what he was hoping. Hiccoughing a breath, he let the tears cascade down his cheeks as he saw the faces of his wife and child again. The memories had started to fade and it had been his greatest fear that he'd forget what they looked like altogether, since he had lost the only photograph they had as a family in the fire. He'd found the metal frame afterwards, but the heat had warped it, shattering the glass and destroying the photo within.

The image in front of him was a comforting scene, nothing like the stiff formal portrait they'd had before. The family were sat under their favourite picnic tree; he was leaning against the trunk wearing the blue shirt that Sarah had made for him, with his beloved wife leaning against his chest as she sat between his bent knees. Both of them were laughing at Buck who had his back to them and had Adam perched on his shoulders. His boy's face was alight with glee at finding himself so high up in the air and had both his little hands buried in Buck's lustrous dark hair, holding on for dear life. His old friend had a grin on his face a mile wide as he held tightly to the spindly legs of the boy on his broad shoulders, overjoyed at being a part of the Larabee clan and being Uncle Buck.

It was one of his favourite memories of before. Closing his drenched eyes, he could almost feel the dappled sunlight on his face; the silky caress of Sarah's hair as it drifted across his face in the light breeze; smell of the grass and Sarah's scent which was a mix of the lavender she used on the drying laundry , the rose water she loved, the bread she was always baking to try and fill up three ravenous boys and something was uniquely Sarah. Holding his breath, he could hear the light carefree chuckle of his love, the high childish shrieks and laughter of his boy and the deep, belly laughs of his oldest friend.

Vin and Ezra sat and watched their brother apprehensively, hoping that his gift would bring only good memories and not the darkness and pain of loss. Still grasping each other's hands, they let loose a relieved sigh as Chris huffed out his own breath and then opened his eyes with a smile.

Reaching out his free hand, Ezra grabbed hold of the hand offered to him by Chris, reading the gratitude in the older man's eyes that his emotion choked voice couldn't articulate.

Finally, Chris choked out, "How?"

Raising an eyebrow, Ezra replied, "How did I know what your wife and child looked like? I asked Buck to describe them in minute detail one night when he'd had a few too many to remember your admonishment about talking about your past. I then asked him to describe his favourite memory; his favourite day, if you will. That painting is the result. I do hope that I did them justice. I know that a painting is a poor substitute for an actual photograph, but…"

"Ez! Stop! It's perfect… just perfect," cried Chris, his voice dwindling to a whisper as he once again drank in the sight of his lost family. "I was so afraid of losing them completely. I almost did lose them… All I thought of was their b-bodies afterwards. All I felt was the rage and helplessness and loss…"

Crawling gracefully over the legs of his brothers, Ezra moved to sit beside Chris with his arms around him. Vin had a firm hold of Chris' nearest arm, willing his strength into the older man.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, Chris forced the hated memories away and focussed instead on the two younger men and the portrait of his family.

"But now, I can look at this and remember the good things," murmured the gunslinger, leaning into Ezra's firm chest and giving Vin's hand a squeeze. "Thank you, Ez. Thank you for giving me back the good memories."

TBC


	28. Chapter 28

Ezra looked around the room and blinked back tears of joy. The bakery had seen a steady business since opening after the church service ended. Families needing a free meal all welcomed the solitary souls into their merry midst, ensuring that no-one felt lonely this Christmas. Individuals who hesitated shyly at the door were soon hailed by someone and welcomed into the warmth. Once finished with their meals, people vacated the tables, but not the premises, preferring to dwell around the edges of the room.

Children were all given a small stocking upon completion of their meals and happily settled down in a cleared space to play with their new toys and games, contentedly sucking on the hard candy found in the toes of the stockings. Everyone made a point of thanking the southerner for his generosity, making him blush and stammer, to the amusement of this brothers. The men laughed outright when the gamester fled to the kitchen with the excuse of needing to bring out more food.

Maude was content in her solitude, preferring to spend the day quietly with her memories of the precious Christmases she spent with her beloved. Especially those after their baby boy arrived to make their family complete. Dear Archie and Nathan had fussed over her that morning, checking the site of her operation, her temperature, her general health and anything else they could check until she finally had to call a halt to their attentions. Once they'd left, her sweet baby boy had arrived with a tray of delicacies to tempt her still capricious appetite and a book that he thought that she'd enjoy.

After a pleasant visit, Ezra had kissed her cheek and whispered his yuletide wishes and love to her, before taking the tray of mostly uneaten food and leaving her to nap. Now, her book laying open and forgotten on her lap, Maude gazed lovingly at the faces of her late husband and her son in the locket Ezra had given her. Pressing her lips lightly to each, she murmured, "You'd be so proud of him, my darlin'. He's grown into a fine man, just like his father."

Sighing, Maude closed her eyes, holding the locket to her breast in a clenched fist as a single tear trailed down her pale cheek.

"Unca Ezwa! Unca Ezwa!"

Spinning towards the urgent cries of Nathan's youngest niece, Ezra couldn't help the blinding grin that sprang to his face at being claimed as an uncle by the Campbell's many children. Picking Maisy up and cuddling her close, he soothed, "There now, sugar, what's the matter?"

Huge brown eyes stared back at him, as Maisy asked breathlessly, "Can ya horse weally count 'n does Unca Vin's horse weally eat chillun n' can Unca Chwis' horse weally turn inta tha wind?"

Chuckling, Ezra saw that Billy Travis had been regaling the other children with some rather vivid descriptions of the seven's horses. Bouncing the little girl on his hip a little to make her giggle, the southerner answered, "My horse can count and do many other marvellous tricks. Uncle Vin's horse doesn't eat anything different to other horses, but he does try to bite people some times, so you must be careful around him. Uncle Chris' horse is extremely fast but he doesn't turn into the wind, no."

Frowning, Maisy looked hurt and wondered aloud, "But why'd Billy lie to us?"

"Sugar, he didn't lie to you. He was just exaggerating a bit, making them more excitin' than they really are to amuse y'all," hedged Ezra, trying to think of some way to distract the child from this conversation, knowing how bogged down a person could get when answering the 'but whys' of a small person. Spying a bowl of oranges on a nearby table, he asked brightly, "Would you like some orange, Miss Maisy?"

"Ain't never had orange 'fore, Unca Ezwa. Is it nice?"

Nodding, Ezra sat with the child on his lap and began peeling her an orange. As he did, he scanned the room for his brothers and laughed silently when he find each one.

Vin and Baker were playing hopscotch with most of the children on a cleared section of flooring, with Vin ending up on the floor more often than not thanks to getting his feet tangled with his dog. Chanu was sitting up against the wall, laughing quietly at his friend's antics, his pockets bulging with oranges and sweets to take back to the village's children. Little did he know that Ezra had a wagon load of food, blankets, toys and books waiting for them to take back with them. Shaking his head, Ezra popped a segment of orange in Maisy's waiting mouth as he chuckled at the scolding Vin would get for drawing in chalk on the floor. Not that Miss Adelia would truly mind as the whole floor would have to be scrubbed after the party anyway.

Miss Nettie, Evie Travis, Miss MacGregor and Gloria Potter were sitting along the wall with the other older ladies, sewing or knitting and generally catching up on the town gossip. All were smiling and cast fond looks at their particular favourites in the room. Miss Nettie caught him looking and winked at him, mouthing, 'Fancy Man'. She chuckled as his face reddened as he gave her a wink back and mouthed, 'Wizened crone'. Both of them chuckled affectionately, enjoying their fake insults.

Mary Travis was laughing quietly behind her hand as she sat with Chris, watching him fend off the clumsy advances of a twelve year old girl. Ignoring his less than subtle pleas for help, she was thoroughly enjoying seeing the self-proclaimed bad element try to gently let a young girl down without hurting her feelings. For her part, Chastity was earnestly trying to find out all she could about what Chris liked and didn't like, asking if he could teach her to ride and maybe they could go on a picnic sometime. Finally, when it looked like Chris was going to panic, Mary took pity on him and distracted the girl by asking her to take some cake over to the ladies sitting along the wall.

Casey and JD were involved in a heated battle of jacks, surrounded by a cheering crowd of children. Despite wearing a pretty dress, Casey was sitting cross legged opposite JD, showing that you could put frills on a tomboy but you couldn't make her act like a lady. Sighing, Ezra smiled a little and realised that forcing Casey to act like a refined lady would squash her spirit and destroy the spark that made her Casey. Given Ms Nettie's tendencies towards self sufficiency and being able to do anything a man could but better, he didn't think he'd have to worry about that happening anytime soon.

Buck was surrounded by a bevy of young women who were all hanging on his every word and flirting outrageously to the disapproval of many of their parents. It was all done in innocent fun and nothing was said to spoil the day, but Ezra knew that many of the young women were in for a scolding on the morrow. Judging by the look in the fathers' eyes, Buck may be in for a few serious talks over the next week himself.

Judge Travis was sitting with Josiah, both with a cup of fortified coffee and a serious look of contemplation on their faces as they pondered the chess board in front of them. Kojay looked on, trying to work out the rules to this strange new game, quietly asking questions and absorbing the answers.

Miss Adelia was gaily wandering around the room, making sure that all her guests had eaten enough and urging others to take home food parcels for their suppers. Inez was helping her by gathering up the used dishes and taking them out to the kitchen, where Raphael was industriously washing them to squeaky cleanness. Both had been told that they were guests and as such were not expected to work, but both had claimed to feel more at ease with a job to do. Ezra made a note to add a little more to each of their yearly bonuses to make up for their help today. They'd also been given presents, which they'd found left on their door handles in stockings, along with Molly and Fanny.

Nathan was sitting with Rain, Charity, Joseph and another young couple who'd recently come to town and settled. Sam and Delphine Harris had been slaves down in Louisiana, who had been freed by their dying mistress part way through the war. They'd fled to the north and finally trundled wearily into Four Corners a few months ago. Ezra had been delighted to find out that Delphine was fluent in French and took every opportunity to speak with her in that tongue. They'd hired on with a small time rancher called Collins on Ezra's recommendation, with Delphine taking over as housekeeper and child minder from the somewhat delicate Mrs Collins and Sam helped Mr Collins with the farm duties. Unable to have her own children, Delphine was devoted to the Collins' eight children and had most of them speaking at least a little French to their mother's delight and their father's bewilderment. Ezra had been making enquiries regarding black orphaned children in need of a loving family, knowing that both Sam and Delphine would be doting parents.

A huge laugh took his gaze to where brothers, Yosemite and Tiny were having an arm wrestling competition. His own laugh gurgled out of him as he saw that the bigger Smith brother, Tiny, had won but managed to slam his brother's hand down into a dish of butter that had been left on the table. The laughter was continued by Yosemite nonchalantly wiping the butter off his ham-sized hand on a leftover biscuit and stuffing the whole biscuit in his mouth. Looking over to where the ladies sat, Ezra grinned at the way both of the big men's wives just rolled their eyes and smiled tolerantly. Such shenanigans were a way of life for them.

Ted Jacobs was sitting at the kitchen table, uncomfortable with social situations. He was happy to talk to Inez, Raphael and Miss Adelia, having eaten a hearty meal and was now polishing the cutlery that Raphael had washed. He was wearing a new shirt that Ezra had presented him with for Christmas, along with a nice bonus for the work he'd done. An ongoing position had been offered whereby Ted would be the caretaker of the MacPhail building, making sure that the communal areas and outhouses were clean and in good repair, as well as making any small repairs needed to the insides. The pay wasn't much, but it was enough for a man such as himself to live on comfortably and he was grateful for it.

Archie had eaten but begged off the party afterwards, claiming fatigue but Ezra knew that he didn't want to spread his disease in the warm, closed in atmosphere of the room. It was unfortunate that such contagious disease had struck down such a sociable man. Ezra knew that Archie would go and sit with Maude, the two of them would while the afternoon away in pleasant companionship.

Looking down as he registered the silent, heavy weight on his chest, Ezra smiled softly at the sleeping girl. Running a gentle hand over her head, he continued the unconscious rocking motion that he'd began when the orange was finished.

As he'd checked on all of his brothers, so each of them had been checking on Ezra, knowing of his loss and how hard today might be for him. Each had come around to him, briefly touching his arm or shoulder to ensure themselves that he was alright. They had done the same for Chris and both Ezra and Chris had been checking on Vin. Although, Vin didn't feel his loss so keenly at Christmas as it wasn't a holiday he'd shared with Nakoma.

Gloria Potter gazed around the bustling room and smiled with contentment. Each of the town's protectors were there, six of whom were wearing new shirts given to them by the seventh. Her smile widened as she remembered the day that Ezra had come in and fussed over the bolts of material, searching for the right shade for each of his friends. He'd then taken the material over to Miss Tennant to have her make it into sturdy shirts, made to last. Nathan in his mustard yellow shirt looking happy and carefree for a change as he sat with his arm around Rain, JD in his light brown shirt picked to match his suit, Buck in his cheerful bright red that set off his dark hair, Chris is his deep green to ease him from his mourning black and highlighting his blond locks, Josiah in a dark blue that made his eyes sparkle and his hair seem more white than grey, and Vin in his more subdued red shirt which was worn with pride. Gloria knew that Nathan and Vin were not in the habit of buying new clothes unless they had to, preferring to spend their money on things they considered more important. In Nathan's case, medical books and supplies, and in Vin's, ammunition and pie. Chuckling, she watched as Vin's attention was drawn away from the game by the arrival of the latest batch of desserts. Followed closely by Chanu and the children, Miss Adelia was beset by a hungry hoard determined to eat as much of the good food as humanly possible. Having seen just how much Joshua and Beth had been eating, she made a note to lay out some of Nathan's sage tea for the inevitable stomach upsets.

Laying Maisy down gently on the pallet of quilts that the women had made up at their feet for the smaller children and babies to sleep on, Ezra straightened with a slight groan as his back twinged. Nodding to the women and passing a few pleasantries, he wandered over to where Vin was waving to him, passing Chris with a brief touch to his shoulder. Sitting down and picking up a fork, Ezra sighed happily and started eating the generous piece of peach cobbler that Vin had been guarding for him.

Looking around at all the happy, laughing people, Ezra's eyes misted a little as he let a sense of peace and joy steal through him.

Vin saw the look and followed his brother's gaze to see what had brought it about and smiled himself as the same feeling stole over him.

One by one, the seven made eye contact with each other before glancing around the room with the same satisfied smile.

They'd come together to do a job. They'd stayed together as a family and finally found home.

FIN


End file.
